
Police on Monday, February 16, inspect the scene where hundreds of Jewish graves were defaced at a cemetery in Sarre-Union, France.

About 250 graves were damaged, with most of the damage consisting of headstones being overturned and columns uprooted.

This marks the third time since 1988 that the cemetery has been targeted, according to Agence France-Presse.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls sent out a tweet calling the destruction "a vile, anti-Semitic act, an insult to the memory" and promised "everything will be done to find those responsible."

The vandalism comes within weeks of other Jewish cemeteries being targeted around the world.

Several gray stone and glossy marble headstones are seen lying on the ground as if they had been toppled over.

Philippe Richert, president of the Alsace region, told AFP why he felt the damage was the certain work of vandals: "One doesn't knock over heavy steles like that dating from the 19th century very easily. It was a deliberate act of destruction."


