The quiet mountain village of Porté-Puymorens, nestled in the Pyrenean foothills near the border with Spain, found itself thrust into the national spotlight this week after a group of Israeli children was denied entry to a local zipline adventure park. The incident, which occurred on Thursday, August 21, 2025, has sparked outrage among Jewish organizations, prompted swift action from French authorities, and reignited a broader conversation about antisemitism in France.
The children, aged eight to sixteen, were on holiday in Spain and had arranged in advance to visit the Tyrovol zipline adventure park in Porté-Puymorens. According to statements from the Perpignan prosecutor’s office, the group’s reservation was confirmed for Thursday. However, when they arrived, they were refused access by the park’s manager. The manager initially cited "personal beliefs" as the reason for denying entry, before offering different explanations to others, as reported by both the Associated Press and The Guardian.
The night before the scheduled visit, the park posted a message on its social media channels stating it would be closed on Thursday due to a storm and to conduct a complete inspection of its facilities. Despite this public explanation, the group was told directly that they could not visit. Left with no choice, the children and their chaperones sought out another leisure facility in France, where they encountered no issues and were welcomed without incident, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The manager of the park, whose identity has not been released, has denied any wrongdoing. Nevertheless, French authorities have detained the individual for alleged religious discrimination, a serious offense in France that can carry a penalty of up to three years in prison. The Perpignan prosecutor’s office emphasized the gravity of the matter in its official statement, underscoring that discrimination based on religion is strictly prohibited under French law.
The reaction from Jewish organizations in France was swift and unequivocal. Perla Danan, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) for the Languedoc-Roussillon region, condemned the incident in the strongest terms. "A line was crossed. We are appalled," Danan declared. She went on to draw a chilling parallel with the past, saying, "It started with graffiti, insults and physical attacks and now it’s literally a ban on children aged eight to sixteen. It reminded me of the ‘no Jews or dogs allowed’ sign during the Holocaust. France’s values have been violated."
The Jewish Observatory of France echoed these sentiments, issuing a statement of "deep outrage" on Friday, August 22, 2025. The organization described the act as "such an act of discrimination, targeting minors exclusively on the basis of their nationality and origin, is extremely serious and undermines the fundamental principles of the Republic." Their words reflect a growing unease within France’s Jewish community, which has seen a surge in antisemitic incidents in recent years.
Local officials in Porté-Puymorens, a village of about 100 residents, expressed shock at the episode. Mayor Jean-Philippe Augé told reporters, "The DNA of our community is based on a sense of sharing and fraternity." He added that the incident had caused "utter astonishment" in the village, emphasizing that the zipline course is operated by a private company and not directly by the municipality. The mayor’s comments underscored the disconnect between the actions of the park’s management and the values the village claims to hold dear.
The legal framework in France is unambiguous when it comes to religious discrimination. French law stipulates that discrimination based on religion is a criminal offense, carrying the possibility of up to three years in prison for those found guilty. This case, with its high-profile international dimension, is likely to test the country’s commitment to those principles.
This incident comes at a particularly sensitive time for France’s Jewish community. According to both AP and The Guardian, antisemitism has surged in the country, with a marked increase in reported incidents following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. These incidents have included not only verbal threats and harassment but also physical assaults and vandalism. The climate of fear and anxiety has prompted Jewish leaders to call for greater vigilance and stronger enforcement of anti-discrimination laws.
Recent events have only heightened these concerns. Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron publicly vowed to punish acts of "antisemitic hatred" after an olive tree planted in memory of Ilan Halimi—a young French Jewish man tortured and killed in 2006—was felled in what authorities described as a hate crime. The president’s statement was seen as an attempt to reassure the Jewish community that such acts would not go unpunished.
For many in France, the refusal of entry to a group of Israeli children at a leisure park is more than just an isolated incident—it is a symptom of a deeper malaise. As Danan of CRIF pointed out, the progression from graffiti and insults to outright exclusion of children based on their background is deeply troubling. The symbolism of children being turned away from a place of joy and recreation has not been lost on the public, and the echoes of historical discrimination have given the episode added resonance.
At the same time, the incident has prompted soul-searching within the small community of Porté-Puymorens. Mayor Augé’s insistence on the village’s values of fraternity and sharing stands in stark contrast to the actions of the park manager, and many locals have expressed dismay at the negative attention the village has received. As the investigation continues, the people of Porté-Puymorens will be watching closely to see how justice is served—and how their community can begin to heal from the shock of these events.
As France grapples with the challenge of rising antisemitism, the case of the zipline park in the Pyrenees serves as a stark reminder that the fight against discrimination is far from over. The outcome of the investigation, and any subsequent legal proceedings, will be closely watched not only by those directly affected but by communities across the country and beyond. For now, the children at the center of the story have found welcome elsewhere—but the questions raised by their experience continue to reverberate far beyond the mountains of southern France.
