Israel funerals for Jewish victims of terror attack

The bodies of four Jewish victims of the terror attack on a kosher supermarket in Paris have arrived in Israel ahead of a funeral to be attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other public figures.

The murders of Yohan Cohen, Yoav Hattab, Francois-Michel Saada and Phillipe Braham shocked France’s 500,000 strongJewish community – the largest in Europe – and prompted calls from Mr Netanyahu for Jews throughout the continent to emigrate to Israel to ensure their safety amid a rising wave of anti-Semitism.

The four were killed in a tense hostage stand-off on Friday at the Hyper Cachet supermarket on the eastern edge of Paris. They were among 17 people who died in a wave of terror attacks carried out in the French capital last week by militants claiming allegiance to al Qaida and the Islamic State extremist groups.

In a statement issued from Paris on Sunday, Mr Netanyahu said he had “acceded to the request of the families of the victims of the murderous terror attack” and directed “all the relevant government bodies” to assist in taking the bodies to Israel.

Last year, France topped the immigration list to Israel, according to the Jewish Agency, a non-profit group which works closely with the government and acts as a link between Jews around the world. Nearly 7,000 new immigrants arrived in 2014, double the number from the previous year.

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