04 September 2006
An explosive device that failed to go off was found on the steps of Corsica's only synagogue on Friday, the prosecutor's office on the French island said. The device comprised a cylinder containing black powder connected to a timing device containing fireworks. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the handmade bomb, discovered by a passer-by on the steps of Bastia's Beth Meir synagogue. The same synagogue was desecrated in 1998. "This odious act is only an expression of stupidity and ignorance. It contravenes both Corsican values and the Republican ideal of tolerance," said Camille de Rocca Serra, the president of Corsica's regional parliament. Corsica's Jewish settlement dates back to the end of the 19th century, with some 200 Jews living on the island now. Corsica is frequently hit by small-scale bombings, but usually they are waged by separatists targeting government buildings and other symbols of the French state. The bombs are generally planted overnight, a tactic to avoid casualties.
