El Al Paris offices daubed with ‘genocide airline’ graffiti in anti-Israel attack
Israeli national carrier evacuates staff after vandalism incident linked to Macron’s plan to recognise a Palestinian state; French authorities open investigation
The Paris offices of Israeli airline El Al were vandalised overnight with red paint and pro-Palestinian slogans including “Free Palestine” and “El Al genocide airline,” prompting condemnation from Israeli officials and an urgent police investigation.
Images shared online show the office doors splashed in paint and defaced with graffiti in multiple languages. The Israeli embassy in France blamed the attack on what it called “a climate of violent and unrestrained incitement by certain French elected officials.”
El Al confirmed no staff were present at the time of the attack and said it was cooperating with French authorities. All employees have since been evacuated from the French capital with a third-party provider temporarily handling operations at the airport.
In a statement, the airline said: “El Al proudly flies the Israeli flag on the tails of its planes and condemns all forms of violence, especially those with an antisemitic background.”
Israel’s Transport Minister Miri Regev directly linked the vandalism to French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent announcement that France will recognise a Palestinian state next month.
“I condemn the barbaric and violent act against El Al and expect law enforcement in France to locate the criminals and take strong action against them,” she posted on X. “Today it’s El Al, tomorrow it’s Air France. When President Macron makes announcements that give gifts to Hamas, this is the result.”
The incident follows a string of politically charged confrontations involving Israeli travellers and airline staff across Europe, amid ongoing tensions surrounding the war in Gaza.
Macron’s declaration on 25 July that “France will recognise the State of Palestine” was met with sharp criticism in Israel, with government figures warning it would embolden extremists and worsen antisemitic rhetoric across the continent.
French police are now investigating the attack as a possible hate crime.
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