France: Police probing antisemitic motive behind murder of Jewish leader

The Algemeiner reports:

Mr Ghozland lived in a flat with his 102-old mother who was away when the murder happened.

French police are investigating the death of a 73-year-old Jewish leader, found dead in his apartment in a suburb of Paris.

Police are probing the possibility of “antisemitic aggression” behind the apparent murder of Alain Ghozland, a spokesperson for French Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia told The Algemeiner on Tuesday.

Originally from Algeria, Ghozland was a politician and city councilman in the heavily Jewish suburb of Creteil. His body was discovered by his brother on Tuesday morning, who came to look for him after he failed to show up for prayers at the synagogue on Monday.

According to Europe 1, police are investigating all motives, including antisemitism and armed burglary. The house appeared to have been rummaged through, and Ghozland’s car was missing, according to Europe 1, although law enforcement said it did not look as though the front door had been forced open.

An autopsy will be performed Wednesday morning to determine the cause of death, Europe 1 reported.

The incident comes a day after a Jewish man was attacked by a machete-wielding Turkish youth in the southern French city of Marseilles, outside a Hebrew academy. The teenage assailant was arrested shortly afterward and apparently told authorities he was acting on behalf of ISIS.

About a year ago, Creteil made headlines after a young Jewish couple was attacked at home by three armed robbers who raped the woman and stole the couple’s valuables, while reciting antisemitic slurs.