(JTA) Prosecutors in France said they are considering antisemitism as a possible factor in the death of an elderly Jewish man in Lyon, who police initially said had died in a dispute unconnected to his religion.
The Tribune Juive Jewish paper on Friday reported on the development in the investigation of the May 17 death of Rene Hadjaj, who was found dead after falling from the 17th floor of his apartment building. He was 89.
Police arrested a 51-year-[old] neighbor, Rachid Kheniche, in connection with the incident. Kheniche and Hadjaj knew each other and had an altercation that ended with Hadjaj’s death, prosecutors told the Le Progres daily.
The police introduced antisemitism as a possible motive after seeing social media posts by Kheniche. Kheniche had made multiple derogatory references to “sayanim,” the transcription in French of the Arab-language word for Zionists, on social media in recent years.
