The French government has appointed a special coordinator to deal with anti-Semitism and other forms of racism.
Daily newspaper Le Figaro reports that Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux decided to appoint a coordinator after a huge increase in antisemitic incidents in the first nine months of the year.
During this period, 704 incidents against Jews were reported, up 350 on the year before. It is mainly the number of threats that have increased.
The minister says the increase is partly due to tension in the Middle East.
