Irish Man Arrested in France for Alleged Antisemitic Threats

French authorities have arrested a man in his sixties, identified as Irish, following allegations of making severe antisemitic threats against an Australian Jewish couple in a supermarket in Avignon.

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You get the f*** away from me before I put a f***ing bullet in your head, okay?

The incident, which occurred in mid-August, gained wider attention after video footage of the confrontation circulated on social media. According to the couple's account, the interaction began amicably but turned hostile when the man, who introduced himself as Paddy, learned they were Jewish. The situation escalated when the tourist began recording, and the man allegedly issued threats and made deeply offensive remarks.

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That short interaction with the Irishman who introduced himself as Paddy was such a terrifying and perfect reflection of how Jews are treated all over the world in 2026, just like in 1942. As soon as he realized we were Jews, his friendly veneer morphed into such violent hatred, and we were no longer English speakers that he wanted to banter with, but vermin he wanted to exterminate.

Speaking to The Jerusalem Post, the wife of the targeted tourist described the encounter as a "terrifying and perfect reflection of how Jews are treated all over the world in 2026." She recounted that the man, after realizing they were Jewish, displayed "violent hatred" and stated he was sorry "Hitler didn't finish the job" and threatened to "put a f***ing bullet in my head." She also noted that he did not deny his remarks on camera and even appeared to consider throwing a large cantaloupe at her as they left.

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I repeated the video that 'Paddy from Ireland' told me he was sorry Hitler didn't finish the job, so that he had the opportunity to deny it, but he didn't deny it. He actually said, 'Bring back Hitler.' He then followed up with the threat to 'put a f***ing bullet in my head.'

The couple reported the incident to French Jewish security liaisons and filed a police report upon returning to France. The suspect was arrested by French police on Wednesday. The wife emphasized the personal impact of the threats, noting that her father survived the Holocaust and lost family members at Auschwitz, making such remarks particularly harrowing.

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he had picked up a large cantaloupe and he mimed that he was considering if could throw it at me.