An Irish man in France told an Australian Jewish couple inside a supermarket on Tuesday that he was sorry “Hitler didn’t finish the job” before threatening to put a bullet in their heads.
Footage of the incident circulated widely across social media platforms including X/Twitter and Instagram. The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) shared the footage and said the couple were “friends of AJA,” and they had reported “to us that they had a friendly conversation with an Irishman who introduced himself as Paddy.
Australian Jewish couple threatened with murder by Irish man in France
An Australian Jewish couple, friends of AJA report to us that they had a friendly conversation with an Irishman who introduced himself as Paddy.
The conversation took a turn when Paddy found out that they… pic.twitter.com/pFg3a1d3u8
— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) August 11, 2026
“The conversation took a turn when Paddy found out that they were Jewish,” the AJA said. “He told them he was sorry that Hitler didn’t finish the job.”
AJA told The Jerusalem Post that the targeted couple were Australian Jews vacationing in France. They had contacted AJA shortly after the incident occurred on Tuesday in a supermarket in Avignon.
The couple provided AJA with an account of the incident, saying that an Irishman “approached us because my husband was wearing a French football top, and he obviously heard us chatting in English, and bantered, ‘Why is an Englishman wearing a French shirt?’ My husband answered in a friendly style that he’s an Australian, but liked the shirt, and as we are traveling around France, he was happy to wear it.
“Then he introduced himself as ‘Paddy from Ireland,’ and we gave our names and shook hands. Then my husband said he wouldn’t wear an Irish shirt, and Paddy agreed that their team was crap and started running down the Irish soccer team, which we had no real knowledge of.
“I told him, ‘No, it’s not that; it’s the Irish politics where they hold such anti-Israel policies and support Hamas and Hezbollah, terrorists! His demeanor changed, and he became aggressive, informing me, ‘We all agree with that. And I’m sorry Hitler didn’t finish the job! At that point, I retrieved my phone and started videoing.”
Footage shows Irish man threatening to ‘put a f***ing bullet’ in head of tourists
The video footage began with filming the man inside the store aisles. In the clip, the man smiled and laughed while walking away from the camera, while the person filming repeatedly asked him to repeat his remarks, saying, “Go on, tell us again. You’re sorry Hitler didn’t finish the job. Please tell us again, Paddy.”
As the man turned back to face the camera, his expression hardened. He stopped walking and threatened the tourists, stating, “You get the f*** away from me before I put a f***ing bullet in your head, okay?”
AJA President to ‘Post’: Jewish tourists must be cautious in Europe
AJA President Robert Gregory told the Post that the couple had since been in contact with a French Jewish security group.
“Australia is facing an unprecedented wave of antisemitism, but this incident is a reminder that Jews can be targeted anywhere,” he said. “Jewish travelers in Europe should exercise caution and remain vigilant. This is a wonderful couple and proud Jews who did nothing to deserve this. Our thoughts are with them.
“Every threat of antisemitic violence must be taken seriously,” he added. “We expect the authorities to investigate this matter urgently and take decisive action against those responsible.”
