The explosive consequences of a bellicose speech, such as one delivered by a head of state like Abdelmadjid Tebboune, can be extremely damaging, especially in contexts where tensions are already high.
During his meeting in Constantine on August 18, 2024, Tebboune declared that the Algerian army was ready to intervene in Gaza, provided that Egypt allowed its passage through its land borders with Israel.
By promising a military intervention in favor of Gaza, Tebboune’s speech is perceived by individuals or extremist groups as a tacit endorsement of violence against Jewish or Israeli targets, whether in the Middle East, Africa, or elsewhere in Europe.
This can encourage acts of terrorism or anti-Semitic violence, such as the one in La Grande-Motte, France, which occurred six days after Tebboune’s incendiary and irresponsible speech.
The man suspected of being responsible for the fire and explosion in front of the La Grande-Motte synagogue on Saturday morning was arrested in the evening in the Pissevin neighborhood of Nîmes by Raid police after an exchange of gunfire. He is El Hussein Khenfri, a 33-year-old Algerian with legal status.
Resigning Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced in a message on X that, shortly after midnight, the suspected perpetrator of the anti-Semitic attack that occurred on Saturday morning in La Grande-Motte (Hérault) had been apprehended in Nîmes (Gard) by Raid police.
At least two cars were set on fire in the parking lot of the Beth Yaacov synagogue before a gas canister exploded near one of the vehicles, injuring a municipal police officer. Two other fires were started on the doors of the place of worship, where the rabbi and four congregants were present, but no injuries were reported.
According to a statement issued by the National Prosecutor’s Office on Sunday, two other individuals from the suspect’s circle have been taken into custody. In total, according to a source close to the case, four people are currently in custody regarding this matter.
The suspect, who acted with his face uncovered, was wearing a Palestinian flag around his waist, with what appeared to be the handle of a handgun protruding. He had a red keffiyeh on his head and was holding a plastic bottle in each hand. The investigation is ongoing.