Last update - 00:00 01/04/2007
French gov't condemns vandalism of 50 Jewish gravestones in north
By The Associated Press
PARIS - Vandals smashed dozens of gravestones overnight in the Jewish
section of a cemetery in northern France before the start of the Passover
holiday this week, prompting a stern government response Sunday.
About 50 gravestones were knocked over or otherwise damaged in Lille, regional police said. It was unclear whether it was linked to Passover, which starts Monday.
Interior Minister Francois Baroin condemned the intolerable act in a statement Sunday and pledged to mobilize forces to find those responsible.
Religious leaders and government officials have expressed concern about
persistent anti-Semitism in France seen in occasional attacks against schools, synagogues and Jewish cemeteries.
France is home to the largest population of Jews in Western Europe.