An Irish man in his 60s has been arrested in Avignon in southern France over an alleged antisemitic confrontation with an Australian Jewish couple earlier this month, a source close to the investigation told AFP.
The arrest follows a supermarket encounter that went viral after Karen Ivers filmed part of the confrontation and posted the video online. The man, who introduced himself as “Paddy from Ireland,” allegedly told the couple he was sorry Hitler had not “finished the job” and later threatened to shoot them.
Man who allegedly told Jewish couple ‘Hitler didn’t finish the job’ arrested in France
French authorities have transferred the investigation to investigative units in Marseille and Avignon, according to reports in France. Investigators are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the confrontation and the alleged threats.
The incident began as a casual conversation about soccer. Ivers said the man approached the couple after noticing that her husband was wearing a French football shirt and hearing them speak English.
He jokingly asked why an Englishman was wearing a French shirt, she said, prompting her husband to explain that he was Australian and simply liked the jersey. The exchange remained friendly at first, with the three introducing themselves and shaking hands.
The conversation later shifted from football to politics. Ivers said she criticized Irish policy toward Israel and accused Ireland of taking an anti-Israel position and supporting Hamas and Hezbollah.
She said the man’s demeanor then changed and that he told them he was sorry Hitler had not “finished the job.”
Ivers began filming immediately afterward. In the video, she repeatedly asks him to repeat the alleged remark and tells the camera what he had just said.
The man then issues a direct threat captured on the recording, telling her: “Get the fuck away from me before I put a fucking bullet in your head, okay?”
The initial alleged Hitler remark itself is not heard in the video. Ivers describes it on camera moments later, while the death threat is clearly recorded.
She later posted the footage on X with the message: “Make this Irish Nazi psychopath famous.” The video spread rapidly and attracted around 1 million views within hours.
The case has now moved from a viral social media incident to a criminal investigation, with French authorities seeking to establish the full sequence of events and determine what charges, if any, will follow.