French police kill armed man who tried to arsonize synagogue

An armed man in Rouen who was most likely Muslim was killed while trying to set fire to a synagogue:

Police have killed an armed man who was trying to set fire to a synagogue in France.

The suspect was shot and killed in the northern city of Rouen on Friday, said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.

“National police in Rouen neutralised early this morning an armed individual who clearly wanted to set fire to the city’s synagogue,” Mr Darmanin said.

“I congratulate them for their reactivity and their courage,” he said.

A source close to the case told AFP the man was wielding a knife and an iron bar when he was shot by police.

Firefighters have been pictured at the scene.

Rouen’s mayor said the Normandy town was “battered and shocked”.

Against the backdrop of tensions in Middle East and Israel’s ground offensive in the Gaza strip, France recently raised its alert level to the highest level.

Tensions and anger have grown in France over the Israel-Hamas war.

Antisemitic acts have surged in the country, which has the largest Jewish and Muslim populations in western Europe.

This is a very fortunate situation, where potential disaster was thankfully averted. But it's still just one of the reasons why Europe must expel the Muslims.