Arson targeting family of park owner in Thailand after anti-Semitic controversy

“They threw molotov cocktails at my mother’s house in France, in Lyon.” Owner of an animal park in Thailand, where he declared that he refused tourists of Israeli origin, Kévin D. announced that his family's home had been the target of an arson attack early Wednesday morning. The Lyon public prosecutor's office confirmed to Le Figaro the opening of an investigation into attempted murder and damage by means dangerous to people. The investigations were entrusted to the Lyon judicial police.

Based on the island of Koh Samui, in the Gulf of Thailand, Kévin D. has been at the heart of a heated controversy for several days and the broadcast of discriminatory and threatening videos towards the Jewish community. “Stay home Jews, stay away from my park. Don't try (sic), since this morning they have been trying to come. You're going to be slapped, I tell you,” he declared in a first sequence.

Other images showed a poster posted at the entrance with an Israeli flag crossed out with a ban, as if to prohibit entry to nationals of this nationality. Right next to it was pinned a shooting target perforated with numerous holes.

These videos caused an outcry on social networks, where several Zionist accounts relayed the controversy with, sometimes, calls for violence. Kévin D. says he has received numerous death threats, supported by screenshots.

“I am not racist, I have nothing against Jews,” assured the person concerned to Le Figaro, while assuming “discrimination at the entrance to [his] park”. The controversy arose several months ago when the owner of the park displayed a Palestinian flag there, in response - according to him - to the bad behavior of certain tourists of Israeli origin and after disagreements with members of the local Jewish community.

On Wednesday, he once again responded by provoking the fire that targeted his mother's house: “You signed your death warrant alone,” he launched on social networks.