Antisemitism Around the World > Macron's absurdly ignorant speech to the UN; Ontario synagogue attacker dead

 

‘GROTESQUE ABSURDITY’: Macron makes shockingly ignorant Hamas claim at UN

September 23, 2026

France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

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“Look at what is happening in the West Bank, where every day violations are committed. In whose name?” Macron said. “Hamas has never operated in the West Bank!”

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli leaders sharply rebuked French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday after he claimed from the podium of the United Nations General Assembly that Hamas had “never operated” in Judea and Samaria, despite the terrorist organization’s longstanding activity in the territory.

Macron made the assertion while delivering a speech heavily focused on Israel and the Palestinians, calling for full recognition of Palestinian rights and arguing that the establishment of a Palestinian state was also necessary for Israel’s security.

“What we need is respect for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, for their legitimate right to exist,” Macron said. “This is a necessary condition for the security of the people of Israel and for the very existence of their state, to which we are deeply committed.”

Turning to Judea and Samaria, Macron accused Israel of daily violations and argued that Israeli policies were making Palestinian statehood increasingly impossible.

“Look at what is happening in the West Bank, where every day violations are committed. In whose name?” Macron said. “Hamas has never operated in the West Bank!”

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The claim prompted a furious response from Jerusalem, with Israeli officials pointing to Hamas’s established presence in Judea and Samaria and, in particular, a deadly terrorist attack carried out just two days earlier.

“The grotesque absurdity of Emmanuel Macron’s statement is staggering,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The PMO pointed to the murder of Netanel Shakron, a French citizen and father of six who was killed Sunday in a Hamas terrorist attack in Judea and Samaria.

“On Sunday, the eve of Yom Kippur, just two days ago, Netanel Shakron — a FRENCH CITIZEN and father of six — was murdered in his car by a Hamas terrorist in Judea and Samaria,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

“With his final breath, he told his son to run.”

The PMO said the attack was far from an isolated example of Hamas activity in the area.

“Hamas terrorists carry out attacks against Jews almost every day,” the statement continued. “They have murdered countless Israeli civilians in Judea and Samaria.”

“Ignorance is NO EXCUSE for erasing their blood,” it concluded.

Hamas does not control Judea and Samaria as it does Gaza, but the terrorist organization maintains networks and operatives there and has repeatedly sought to organize and carry out attacks against Israelis.

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Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also accused Macron of making a false statement, pointing to Shukrun’s murder as evidence.

“President Macron is lying,” Smotrich wrote on X.

“This is just one attack out of hundreds of attacks led by Hamas, which fuels Arab terrorism in Judea and Samaria,” he added.

Macron, meanwhile, continued his criticism of Israeli policy, arguing that Israeli actions in Judea and Samaria were undermining rather than strengthening the country’s security.

“All those who claim that Israel’s security comes through violating the sovereignty of all its neighbors are making a fatal mistake,” Macron said. “They are weakening Israel’s security.”

The French president also defended international recognition of a Palestinian state, dismissing criticism that such recognition amounted to little more than a symbolic gesture.

“Last year, right here, there were about a dozen countries that recognized Palestine,” Macron said. “I hear the cynicism of some people: ‘Recognition on paper, look at the reality.’ But what is our credibility if we continue to remain inactive in the face of Gaza?”

Macron’s remarks and the Israeli response highlighted the widening diplomatic rift between Paris and Jerusalem over the Palestinian issue, with Israeli officials accusing the French president of ignoring the reality of Hamas terrorism while pressing Israel to make concessions toward Palestinian statehood.

Belleville Synagogue Attack Suspect Is Dead, Police Watchdog Says

Suspect was critically injured in shootout with police.

The man accused of opening fire outside a Belleville, Ont., synagogue on Sept. 20 has died after being critically wounded in a shootout with police.

Special Investigations Unit spokesperson Kristy Denette told reporters a suspect arrived at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in a truck armed with a shotgun as worshippers were celebrating Yom Kippur.

The suspect allegedly opened fire at a Belleville police officer stationed outside the synagogue located in a residential area of the eastern Ontario city, Denette said.

“He discharged his firearm at a police officer and then that police officer returned fire and then there was a second officer who arrived and then also discharged a firearm,” she said.

Belleville Police Service Deputy Chief Sheri Meeks identified the suspect as 29-year-old Quinte West resident Sean Ward during a joint Sept. 21 press conference with the SIU. Quinte West shares a border with the City of Belleville and is roughly two hours east of Toronto.

Ward died later that night after succumbing to his injuries, the SIU has confirmed. An autopsy will be performed on Sept. 23 in Kingston, Ont.

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A Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) spokesperson has confirmed to The Epoch Times that a former member named Sean Ward matches the description of the shooting suspect.

“He joined the CAF in July 2017 and released in June 2022 at the rank of corporal,” National Defence communications officer Andrée-Anne Poulin said in an emailed statement. “He served as an infantry soldier with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and did not deploy during his service.”

Poulin said the CAF remains “ready to provide assistance to the investigation if required.”

Ward died at the scene of the shooting but was revived by emergency service personnel, officials said.

Const. Jeff Smith, a 13-year veteran of the force and a member of its emergency response unit, was also shot during the altercation, Meeks said. He remains in critical but stable condition.

“I am relieved to share that Const. Smith is recovering in the intensive care unit,” Meeks said. “While he continues to face a significant road to recovery, his condition has stabilized, and we remain hopeful and encouraged by his progress.”

Const. Smith and Ward were both transported to Kingston General Hospital in the aftermath of the shootout that forced more than 25 worshippers inside the synagogue to take shelter as bullets hit the stained-glass windows.

One of the congregants, Douglas Lobel, said the incident lasted for two to three minutes but it “seemed like an eternity.”

Lobel said a police officer eventually entered the synagogue to check whether anyone had been wounded, and confirmed no one inside was hurt. He described the injured officer as a “hero” and said the outcome could have been much different if the officer had not been stationed there.

Denette confirmed the shooter fired between 20 and 30 shots and said police also fired multiple rounds.

“There are dozens of bullet holes in the street behind me and some homes were hit,” she told reporters. “There are some vehicles with shot-out windows, that sort of thing, so it would have been quite the scene.”

Investigation

The authorities have yet to establish a motive and have not said whether the Sons of Jacob Synagogue or the Jewish community was the target of the weekend attack.

Belleville police is conducting the criminal investigation into the incident and the SIU, a civilian government agency, is conducting a separate investigation into the police-involved shooting, Denette said.

A team of four SIU investigators and two forensic investigators have been assigned to the case and will be reviewing body-worn and in-car camera footage to see how the officers used their firearms, she added.

Meeks said the shooting has profoundly impacted Belleville’s Jewish community, especially because it happened outside the synagogue during Yom Kippur, Judaism’s most sacred observance.

“Anti-Semitism, hate and violence have no place in our community,” Meeks said. “Every person deserves to feel safe when attending a place of worship.”

The synagogue cancelled its remaining Yom Kippur services following the shooting and Meeks said police have increased patrols throughout the city, including around places of worship.

Meeks said the police force is “committed to being as transparent as possible and keeping our community informed,” but cannot comment on their investigation while the SIU carries out its own probe.

Antisemitism Around the World > Groups of Jews attacked in 4 different countries

 

Israelis on Vacation Attacked in Montenegro, Thailand, Mongolia, and Crete

Aug 22, 2026 4:00 pm By Hugh Fitzgerald15 Comments

#1. Antisemitic Mob Beats Two Israelis Visiting Montenegro

In Montenegro, an antisemitic mob set upon two Israelis on vacation abroad — that many Israelis take just before their mandatory military service begins. The Israelis barely escaped being beaten to a pulp, or worse. More on their ordeal can be found here: 

Two Israelis chased, kicked during vacation in Montenegro in apparent antisemitic attack – report

by Tzvi Jasper, Jerusalem Post, August 11, 2026:

Two young Israelis visiting Montenegro appear to have been targeted by a group of people for being Jewish during a pre-army vacation, N12 reported on Monday.

The two Israelis, Yoav and Dor, told N12 that they were visiting a casino when a man approached them, made conversation, and then asked where they were from.

After the two said they were from Israel, “our nightmare began,” Yoav recounted.

“The guy wouldn’t leave us, started pestering us, and offered to take us to a ‘much nicer casino.’ At the beginning of the conversation with him, he said he was on a family vacation, but then we saw that he knew all the locals sitting at the tables around him. That’s when we started to get suspicious and realize that something was wrong.”

The two were able to escape the man and exit the casino, only to be confronted by a group of around 15 people.

“It felt like a planned ambush in every regard. They were waiting for us, they noticed us and chased us. A hunt began in the alleys and streets.”

Yoav and Dor split up, with Yoav finding a hiding place in a private garden, where he was able to call his parents.

“I heard them right on top of me, searching house by house, shouting ‘Jews, Jews!'” Yoav said. “After a few minutes, I managed to sneak into the outside kitchen of another house, where I called my parents.”

Dor, meanwhile, had run down the main road, where he was caught and kicked by the pursuing mob….

Imagine if Dor had not escaped but continued to be pummeled and kicked by that 15-member mob. He might have been severely wounded, or worse. All because he was Jewish, at a time when antisemitism has now spread across our giddy globe.

“Crkva Gospa od Zdravlja” church, Kotor bay, Montenegro, Crkva Gospa od Zdravlja Kotor Bay Montenegro, Ggia, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

#2. In Thailand A Violent Attack On Israeli Mother and Daughter

At a Thailand resort, an Israeli mother was visiting her daughter who was in the country on vacation, when a French national, very possibly a Muslim, learning that they were Israeli, savagely assaulted both in what the Thai authorities called an antisemitic attack. More on this attack can be found here: 

Israeli Mother and Daughter Brutally Assaulted in Thailand in Suspected Antisemitic Attack

by Ailin Vilches Arguello, Algemeiner, August 7, 2026:

An Israeli mother and daughter were brutally attacked while vacationing on Thailand’s Koh Phangan island, leaving them both with serious injuries requiring surgery in what appears to be one of the latest violent antisemitic attacks amid an increasingly hostile and dangerous environment confronting Jews and Israelis overseas.

According to the Israeli news outlet Ynet News, the 62-year-old mother had traveled to Thailand for a two-week vacation with her 23-year-old daughter, who was already visiting the country.

Earlier this week, the pair rode a motorcycle to visit a waterfall on the southern island of Koh Phangan, a popular tourist destination in the Gulf of Thailand. While walking near the site, they encountered a man who asked where they were from. After the daughter replied that they were from Israel, the man began confronting them over the war in Gaza.

Although the women repeatedly told him they did not want to discuss politics and were simply on vacation, the man continued arguing, telling them, “I don’t like what Israel is doing there” and “I’m against violence.”

Yes, their attacker said, he’s “against violence,” just before launching into a savage attack on the two Israeli women.

This attacker was not Thai, but described as a “French national.” What are the odds, do you think, that he was a Muslim living in France who had been naturalized?

#3. Six Israeli Tourists Attacked in Mongolia

In Mongolia in mid-July, six Israeli tourists — three men and three women — were attacked not by the locals, but by a mob of Kazakh Muslims who had heard them speaking Hebrew. Though the attackers were armed with axes and knives, the three unarmed Israeli men managed to fight them off. More on this incident can be found here: 

Israeli Tourists Attacked With Axes and Knives by Men Shouting ‘Heil Hitler’ at Mongolia Campsite

Combat Antisemitism Movement, July 20, 2026:

Six Israeli tourists were attacked last week at a campsite in northern Mongolia, according to a report published by Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism.

The assailants, who carried axes and knives, were said to be a group local Kazakh Muslims who shouted “Heil Hitler” before and during the attack, which took place on Monday, July 13.

The Israeli tourists, three men and three women, were settling in for the night when the attackers arrived.

“The Israelis recognized the threat as the attackers approached, quickly packed their equipment and put on closed shoes in preparation to flee, but were attacked before they could leave,” the report said. “The attackers appeared to target the group after hearing them speak Hebrew.”

The three Israeli men, all former IDF combat soldiers, fought back to protect the group and the attackers ultimately fled.

One of the Israelis suffered a fractured jaw and was flown back to Israel for medical treatment.

A second victim lost consciousness from the force of the blows.

#4. Israeli Tourists Attacked On Crete

On the Greek island of Crete, Israeli tourists singing songs in Hebrew were attacked by a mob outside their hotel, and managed to escape serious injury only by locking themselves in their rooms. More on their ordeal can be found here: 

Israelis say they were attacked by anti-Israel mob who stormed their hotel in Crete

by Michael Horovitz, Times of Israel, July 28, 2026:

Israeli tourists said they were violently attacked near and inside their hotel on the Greek island of Crete early Sunday morning by assailants armed with sharp objects and rifles who shouted “F*** Israel” and “Free Palestine,” leading them to fear for their lives.

The group of young Israelis was walking home from a party in the coastal town of Malia while singing in Hebrew at around 4 a.m., when the attackers began shouting the slogans at them, according to report by Israel’s National Center for Combating Antisemitism and channels 12 and 13.

“We yelled back at them, and there was an argument. We then got closer to the hotel, and suddenly we saw a bigger group arrive and that they had called more people over for backup,” Raz, 17, told Channel 12.

“They began to jump us and throw glass bottles. One of them got close to me and tried to break a bottle on my head, but luckily my friend stopped him,” he said.

The attackers pursued them into the hotel compound, armed with air rifles and sharp objects, where they began to search for Israeli and Jewish guests, the National Center statement said.

One Israeli suffered a head injury from being shot with an air gun, according to the statement.

The Israeli tourists locked themselves in their rooms, and “several youths reportedly sent distress and farewell messages to their families in Israel during the incident,” the statement read, adding that hotel staff tried to protect guests until police arrived.arrived.

Some of the Israelis sent “farewell messages” to their families because they were in fear for their lives, so threatening had the baying mob become.

A word to the wise: Israeli tourists, when asked your nationality, don’t answer “Israeli.” Don’t speak Hebrew in public. And carefully consider the security provided by the host countries you intend to visit. What about a staycation until this antisemitic madness dies down?

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