Unknown vandals this morning tried to burn down the century-old Jewish synagogue of Thionville in the vicinity of Metz. The local fire brigade managed to put out a fire in the synagogue before too much damage occurred to the building after a passerby turned in an alarm before daybreak.
Police found that gasoline had been poured over the building before it was set afire in an apparent premeditated arson attempt. Although police have not yet traced the culprits, they are believed to belong to a neo-Nazi movement.
M. Ditsch, Mayor of Metz, sharply condemned the outrage and called for speedy action by police and asked the city’s inhabitants to cooperate with the authorities in apprehending the vandals as soon as possible to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
