A mysterious development has arisen in the investigation of the numerous Magen Dovid symbols painted on Jewish homes and businesses in Paris last month amid a sharp surge in antisemitic incidents in France since October 7.

Footage from security cameras showed that the Magen Dovid symbols were all painted by a man and a woman while a third person photographed them. Following the couple’s acts of vandalism, which were carried out in one night, they quickly fled France.

However, investigators also discovered that Magen Dovid symbols had also been painted four days earlier by another two suspects – both Moldovans. Police arrested them in the 10th district of Paris on October 27.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau issued a statement following the arrest, saying that the two Moldovans told their interrogators that they had acted on behalf of a third party for payment.

“They said they acted on the command of a third party for remuneration, which was backed up by a Russian-language conversation on their telephone,” she said.

Further investigation showed that the couple who had fled France and the two Moldovans were both in touch with the same third party.

“At this stage, it is thus not to be excluded that the daubing the Stars of David was done at the express demand of an individual residing abroad,” Beccuau added.

Additionally, prosecutors discovered that a network of bots that are believed to originate from the Russia Wagner Force mercenary group promoted photos of the graffiti on social media.

A French official elaborated that the first social media account that posted the photos of the Magen Dovid graffiti on X [Twitter] originated in Russia and that the photos were reposted thousands of times almost immediately afterward. “It was completely artificial,” the official said.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)