Image copyright Reuters 
 
 Mohamed Merah, the man believed to be the gunman on a scooter who killed seven people in south-western France, was killed in an armed siege after police surrounded his block of flats in Toulouse. 
 
 A 23-year-old French citizen of Algerian origin, he had long been known to the French authorities as a petty criminal but latterly his links to Islamist extremism drew attention. 
 
 The man who reportedly told police negotiators he was a member of al-Qaeda had recently made visits to Pakistan and Afghanistan, where he was found in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar. 
 
 He reportedly admitted the shootings in which three unarmed French soldiers were killed, as well as a rabbi and three small children at a Jewish school. Merah reportedly held one little girl, Myriam Monsonego, by her hair to shoot her in the head. 
 
 According to French prosecutors, he had expressed no regrets other than "not having claimed more victims" and was proud of having "brought France to its knees". 
 
 He said he had been motivated by the fate of the Palestinians, the French military presence in Afghanistan and France's ban on the full veil, prosecutor Francois Molins told reporters. 
 
 Juvenile delinquent 
 
 Mohamed Merah was from Toulouse where he grew up on a housing estate in Les Izards, a troubled district in the north-east of the city with a large North African population. 
 
 Two years ago I learnt that he had suddenly become radicalised and had left for Afghanistan Christian Etelin, Lawyer to Mohamed Merah 
 
 He later moved to the block of flats on Sergent Vigne Street, in the quieter, south-eastern district of Cote Pavee. 
 
 From a family of five children, the suspect was largely raised by his mother, who was divorced. 
 
 He was a mechanic by trade, according to French magazine Le Point, and loved scooters in particular. He was also a keen footballer. 
 
 He was considered a juvenile delinquent. As a minor he was reported at least 15 times for acts of violence, and was described as having "a violent profile from childhood and behavioural troubles". 
 
 First arrested in 2005, he served two short prison terms, in 2007 and 2009. His convictions reportedly include thefts and driving offences. 
 
 In February, he was found guilty of driving without a licence and was due to appear in court in April. 
 
 However, two of his friends said he was a "nice guy" who "got on well with everyone", JDD reports. 
 
 One of them, Samir, said Merah had been seen in a Toulouse night club only last week. 
 
 "I served in the army and he never said anything to me about it," he added. 
 
 "I am also shocked he killed North Africans. We can't believe it." 
 
 Others give a different picture. 
 
 'Waster' 
 
 An unnamed young man who ran into him in a rai (popular Arab music) night club around the time of the first shooting told the French magazine Le Nouvel Observateur: "He's a waster, a layabout. 
 
 You are speaking to an angel Mohamed Merah, Quoted in a conversation with an acquaintance after the first two shootings 
 
 "A loner. Not a serious guy... Sometimes he had his hair long, sometimes short, sometimes red." 
 
 An unnamed former paratrooper interviewed by local newspaper La Depeche was a friend of the first victim, Sgt Imad Ibn Ziaten, killed on 11 March. 
 
 On Saturday night, 17 March, he ran into Merah, whom he also knew, and unwittingly embraced him, as is the custom. 
 
 "On Saturday, he even said to me, you are speaking to an angel," the ex-paratrooper said. 
 
 "I didn't understand at the time." 
 
 La Depeche suggests the "angel" may have been a reference to the suspect's jihadist beliefs. 
 
 'Al-Qaeda! al-Qaeda!' 
 
 When he attacked paratroopers in Montauban on 15 March, Merah shouted "Allahu Akbar", or "God is great" in Arabic, prosecutor Francois Molins said, quoting police who had viewed video of the attack. 
 
 He reportedly became radicalised years ago while in prison, according to Le Point. 
 
 French media reports say that two years ago he forced a boy to watch bloody videos from Afghanistan, then beat up the boy's sister after the boy's mother intervened. 
 
 How French police tracked down the gunman 6 March: A Yamaha T-MAX scooter like the one above was stolen and used by the suspect in the targeted killings. The suspect later asked a garage how to re-spray the machine and how to switch off its tracker device. 11 March: French paratrooper, Imad Ibn-Ziaten, was lured to a meeting with the suspect after advertising his own scooter for sale. The suspect sent an email to arrange a meeting at which he killed the soldier. 21 March: The email address led to this apartment block in Toulouse. Two policemen were lightly wounded when they knocked on the door of an apartment. The heavily armed gunman is surrounded by police. 
 
 Several witnesses in Les Izards are quoted by La Depeche as saying Merah turned up outside the family's home dressed in camouflage and waving a sword, shouting "al-Qaeda! al-Qaeda!" 
 
 The mother lodged a complaint but there was apparently no prosecution, La Depeche adds. 
 
 When Merah's mother was asked by police to assist in police negotiations, she reportedly refused, saying she no longer had any influence over her son. 
 
 French lawyer Christian Etelin, who defended the suspect in non-terrorist proceedings in recent years, told AFP news agency he had not given the impression of being a fanatic and had never talked about Islam to him. 
 
 "But two years ago I learnt that he had suddenly become radicalised and had left for Afghanistan," the lawyer added. 
 
 Merah visited Pakistan in 2011, from mid-August to mid-October. He had already visited the country in 2010, when he was stopped by Afghan police over the border in Kandahar, the former stronghold of the Taliban. 
 
 Handed over to US forces, he was sent back to France, La Depeche writes. 
 
 France's domestic intelligence agency (DCRI) was aware of his foreign trips and suspected him of radical Islamist activity. 
 
 'Such violence' 
 
 Interior Minister Claude Gueant revealed that Merah had been asked by intelligence officials in November 2011 to explain his visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan and had shown them photographs to prove he had been a tourist. 
 
 Mr Gueant defended the DCRI by saying it followed "a lot of people engaged in radical Islamism". 
 
 [Merah] finally jumped through the window with a gun in his hand, still firing Claude Gueant, French interior minister 
 
 "Expressing ideas and manifesting Salafist opinions is not grounds enough for prosecution," he added. 
 
 Days after the final shooting, Merah was tracked down by police to his flat where he opened fire when they tried to approach him. 
 
 Said to be armed with a Kalashnikov assault rifle, an Uzi machine-gun and several handguns, he resisted arrest for nearly a day and a half. 
 
 In his last conversation with police, on the evening of 21 March, he refused to surrender and threatened to kill police officers, Mr Gueant said in a detailed statement soon after news of his death. 
 
 When RAID police commandos moved into the first-floor flat in the morning, he opened fire from the bathroom, shooting so heavily that an experienced commando later told the minister he had never seen an "assault of such violence". 
 
 Merah jumped through a window with a gun in his hand, still firing, Interior Minister Gueant said. 
 
 He continued shooting, at which point a RAID commando killed him with a single shot to the head, Francois Molins said. 
 
 Three police officers were injured, one seriously, during the operation. ||||| The cabinet approved a special NIS 180 million ($46 million) budget on Sunday to finance the costs of absorbing thousands of new immigrants expected to arrive in Israel this year from Ukraine, France and Belgium. 
 
 “We are telling our Jewish brothers and sisters that Israel is your home,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during the cabinet meeting. “We are bracing ourselves and calling for a mass immigration from Europe.” 
 
 Under the Law of Return, all Jewish immigrants to Israel are entitled to a package of financial benefits. The government expects the sharp upward trend evident in immigration from Ukraine, France and Belgium last year to strengthen even further in the coming year. In Ukraine, this increase has been attributed to the political turmoil in the country, while in France and Belgium, it has been associated with a combination of rising anti-Semitism and a weak economy. 
 
 The supplemental budget approved today is earmarked for information fairs, subsidized Hebrew lessons, extra office staff, and beefed up social and employment services. 
 
 According to figures published by the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, a record number of 6,658 Jews immigrated to Israel from France last year – more than double the previous year’s number. Last month alone, the ministry reported that 1,835 new files were opened for candidates for immigration from France. The Jewish Agency expects 15,000 French Jews to immigrate to Israel this year. 
 
 Last year, 5,921 Jews immigrated to Israel from Ukraine – more than triple the previous year’s number. Last month alone, the ministry reported, 1,300 new files were opened for candidates for immigration from Ukraine. 
 
 Although immigration from Belgium has been on a much smaller scale in absolute terms, the percentage increase has been dramatic, ever since the terror attack last spring outside the Jewish Museum in Brussels. 
 
 Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky said in response to the cabinet decision that allocated extra funding this year to immigration absorption was not sufficient, and that it was incumbent on the government to come up with a long-term plan that addresses the housing and employment needs of new arrivals to the country. “Without long-term solutions to these issues, Israel will have a hard time attracting immigrants seeking a new future,” he said. ||||| JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Sunday for the "massive immigration" of European Jews to Israel following a deadly shooting near Copenhagen's main synagogue, renewing a blunt message that has upset some of Israel's friends in Europe. 
 
 Danish police officers stand outside of a synagogue, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015, where a gunman opened fire in Copenhagen, Denmark. Danish police shot and killed a man early Sunday suspected of carrying out... (Associated Press) 
 
 A Danish police officer stands outside of a synagogue, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015, where a gunman opened fire in Copenhagen, Denmark. Danish police shot and killed a man early Sunday suspected of carrying... (Associated Press) 
 
 Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt in front of the Synagogue in Copehagen, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. A man opened fire Saturday killing a Danish documentary filmmaker and a member of the Scandinavian... (Associated Press) 
 
 Dansh Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt pays respects Sunday Feb. 15, 2015, at the Copenhagen Synagogue for the victims for the Saturday night’s shootings in Copenhagen. Danish police shot and killed... (Associated Press) 
 
 Netanyahu said that at a time of rising anti-Semitism in Europe, Israel is the only place where Jews can truly feel safe. His comments triggered an angry response from Copenhagen's chief rabbi, Jair Melchior, who said he was "disappointed" by the remarks. 
 
 "People from Denmark move to Israel because they love Israel, because of Zionism. But not because of terrorism," Melchior told The Associated Press. "If the way we deal with terror is to run somewhere else, we should all run to a deserted island." 
 
 Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt expressed support for the Jewish community, telling reporters: "They belong in Denmark, they are a strong part of our community, and we will do everything we can to protect the Jewish community in our country." 
 
 Netanyahu issued his call during the weekly meeting of his Cabinet, which approved a previously scheduled $46 million plan to encourage Jewish immigration from France, Belgium and Ukraine — countries where large numbers of Jews have expressed interest in moving to Israel. France and Belgium have experienced deadly attacks on their Jewish communities in in recent years, most recently an attack in Paris last month that killed four Jews at a kosher market. Ukraine, meanwhile, is in the midst of a conflict between government troops and Russian-backed separatists. 
 
 "This wave of attacks is expected to continue," Netanyahu told his Cabinet. "Jews deserve security in every country, but we say to our Jewish brothers and sisters, Israel is your home." 
 
 His comments came amid a tight re-election campaign ahead of March 17 elections. Seeking a third consecutive term, Netanyahu has focused his campaign on Israel's security needs, repeatedly warning voters about the many threats from Islamic radicals throughout the region. There was no immediate reaction from his chief opponents. 
 
 Netanyahu spoke at a time of rising tensions with European countries over Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, captured territories claimed by the Palestinians. Some Israelis believe such criticism has helped fuel anti-Semitism. 
 
 European leaders, however, have insisted that their criticism has no bearing on the treatment of their own Jewish communities. Netanyahu rushed to France following the Jan. 7-9 killings at the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket, urging the country's Jews to move to Israel. French leaders signaled their unhappiness. 
 
 "France, without the Jews of France, is no longer France," French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said at the time. The government has since increased protection at synagogues, Jewish schools and other sensitive sites. 
 
 Hundreds of graves have been vandalized at a Jewish cemetery in eastern France, in what President Francois Hollande called an "odious and barbaric" anti-Semitic act against French values. 
 
 French Jews have been increasingly migrating to Israel, a pattern that dismayed the French government well before the attacks at the kosher supermarket and since has left top officials pleading for them to stay. In 2014, more than 7,000 French Jews left, more than double the number for 2013. 
 
 The exodus from France accelerated after the March 2012 attacks by Mohammed Merah, who stormed a Jewish school in Toulouse, killing three children and a rabbi. 
 
 Last month's attack in France was part of a wave of violence that killed a total of 17 people carried out by extremists who claimed allegiance to the al-Qaida and Islamic State extremist groups. 
 
 Jens Madsen, head of Denmark's intelligence agency PET, said investigators believed the gunman who killed two people in the weekend shootings in Copenhagen was inspired by Islamic radicalism. 
 
 A visibly moved Thorning-Schmidt laid flowers at the synagogue Sunday, accompanied by former Chief Rabbi Bent Lexner, Jewish community leader Dan Rosenberg Asmussen and Anders Gadegaard from the Copenhagen Protestant cathedral. 
 
 "My message is that all of Denmark feels with you," Thorning-Schmidt said. "This is not the Denmark we want. We want a Denmark where people freely can choose one's religion." 
 
 Denmark is known for saving most of its Jews during World War II. There are an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 Jews in Denmark. 
 
 Melchior, the chief rabbi, identified the Jewish victim in Copenhagen as Dan Uzan, a security guard. 
 
 "He was a person who was always willing to help. An amazing, amazing guy," said Melchior, speaking from Israel before boarding a return flight to Copenhagen. 
 
 The community had previously asked police for enhanced security, and following last month's attack on the Paris kosher market, Danish police began reevaluating security, Melchior said. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writers Lori Hinnant in Paris, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen and Daniel Estrin in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
– The deadly Copenhagen shootings over the weekend, including an attack outside the city's main synagogue, have spurred Benjamin Netanyahu to make some drastic statements. During yesterday's Cabinet meeting—in which a $46 million plan to handle Jewish immigrants from France, Belgium, and Ukraine was approved, Haaretz reports—the Israeli PM issued a "massive immigration" call to Europe's Jews, telling them they'll be safest in Israel. "This wave of attacks is expected to continue," Netanyahu said, per the AP. "Jews deserve security in every country, but we say to our Jewish brothers and sisters, Israel is your home." Jair Melchior, Copenhagen's head rabbi, says he's "disappointed" in Netanyahu's remarks, telling the AP, "People from Denmark move to Israel because they love Israel, because of Zionism—but not because of terrorism. If the way we deal with terror is to run somewhere else, we should all run to a deserted island." France has been losing its Jewish residents in droves, especially after a 2012 attack on a Jewish school and last month's attack on a kosher grocery store in Paris, the AP notes; about 7,000 French Jews left the country last year, more than twice 2013's number, the agency adds. This exodus is likely helped along by Netanyahu's eagerness to fund the "Law of Return," which Haaretz explains as "all Jewish immigrants to Israel [being] entitled to a package of financial benefits." "To the Jews of Europe and to the Jews of the world, I say that Israel is waiting for you with open arms," Netanyahu said in a statement, per AFP. Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who visited the synagogue yesterday, agrees with Melchior that Denmark is a place that Jews can call home. "They belong in Denmark, they are a strong part of our community, and we will do everything we can to protect the Jewish community in our country," she said, per the AP.