French Interior Minister Manuel Valls on Thursday issued his "strongest condemnation" of a violent train attack on a student from the Ozar Hatorah Jewish school in Toulouse where four Jews were killed by gunman Mohamed Merah in March.
The 17-year-old Jewish boy was on his way home to Lyon at the time of Wednesday night’s attack. Wearing a Star of David necklace identifying him as Jewish, he was set upon and insulted by his two attackers.
The teenager was then attacked by the two individuals who beat him up.
The victim immediately lodged a complaint with the Lyon judicial authorities and an official investigation was opened. His lawyer, Alain Jakubowicz, is president of the International League against Racism and anti-Semitism (LICRA).
Two 18-years-old youths were taken in for questioning on Thursday in connection with the case and were placed under arrest.
According to a statement by the Interior Ministry, Valls "wished to express his empathy and condemnation in the strongest terms" of the attack.
"Such acts of extreme violence are unacceptable," the minister added, promising that "French laws set out severe punishment in response."
He stressed that "all powers were completely mobilised to combat any resurgence of the profound evil that is anti-Semitism" adding that "this evil is an offence to the values and history of our country."
According to the Interior Minister, the number of anti-Semitic acts and crimes increased by 46% between January and April 2012 compared to the previous year. However, after taking into consideration the climax in March following the killing of soldiers and the Jewish children and one of their parents, in Montauban and Toulouse, the trend stabilised during the other months.
The umbrella representative group of French Jewish organisations, CRIF cites "90 acts reported by the Interior Ministry in the 10 days that followed" the killing spree in Toulouse and "148 incidents between 19 March and the 30 April," revealed the Jewish Community Security Service (SPCJ).
Mohamed Merah killed three children and one of their fathers outside the Ozar Hatorah Jewish school in Toulouse on March 19.