Al-Qaeda Supporter Celebrates Attempted Attack On French Synagogue, Urges Attacks On Jews: 'Terrorizing Jews Is The Least We Can Do'

The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here. 

On August 24, 2024, prominent Al-Qaeda supporter Warith Al-Qassam published posts on Telegram[1] celebrating a same-day attempted arson attack on a synagogue in the southern French town of La Grande-Motte. According to media reports, a lone suspect set fire to multiple cars near Synagogue Beth Yaacov, causing an explosion.[2] No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Al-Qassam wrote: "Allahu Akbar, a big incident [occurred] in France today. A car bomb [sic] targeted a Jewish synagogue, but it exploded before the swine arrived." Al-Qassam used an emoji of an inverted red triangle, a symbol used by Hamas to mark its targets since the outbreak of the Gaza war. He praised Allah for the attack, posted a photo of the fire at the synagogue, and urged: "What are you waiting for? Be the next one – attack for the sake of Allah."

Under the hashtag #surround_them_with_terror, an additional post read: "O soldier of Islam, terrorizing Jews and putting them in a situation similar even slightly to what our people in Gaza are experiencing is the least we can do. Such operations have a great impact on the occupation government, as they create pressure from Jews everywhere."

An August 5 post by the Al-Qaeda supporter celebrated an August 4 stabbing in Holon, a suburb of Tel Aviv, and urged further stabbing attacks against Israelis and their Western "allies."[3] Al-Qaeda supporters have released numerous posts, posters, essays, and video clips inciting Muslims to jihad against Jews, Westerners, and Arab regimes, particularly since the beginning of the ongoing war in Gaza.[4]