'Star of David' Painted in Paris... Behind It, Russian Intelligence Agency

Revealed During Investigation After Suspect Arrested

Amid the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas last year, it was reported that the incident in Paris, France, where the Jewish symbol 'Star of David' was drawn, was an operation by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

View of the Seine River in Paris, France
[Image source=Yonhap News]

French daily Le Monde reported on the 23rd (local time), based on the investigation results of the French domestic security agency (DGSI), that the Star of David operation was led by the FSB's 5th Directorate, responsible for overseas intelligence.

French investigative authorities arrested two illegal Moldovan residents who were drawing the Star of David on a building in the 10th arrondissement of Paris on October 27 last year. A few days later, other Moldovans were confirmed to have drawn the Star of David inside and outside Paris, but they were not caught.

The individuals caught by the police testified during the investigation that they received 300 to 500 euros from a third party and were provided with airplane tickets from Moldova to France and mobile phones. The third party mentioned by them was Anatoli Prizenko, a pro-Russian businessman of Moldovan nationality, and the investigation revealed his connection to the FSB's 5th Directorate.

French authorities viewed Russia's actions as an attempt to exacerbate conflicts between Jews and Muslims in France to destabilize society. They also understood that this operation was only a part of the FSB 5th Directorate's broader activities across Europe.