Arsonists torch Jewish school near Paris (on the same day as bombing in Turkey)

The Jerusalem Post ^ | 15 November 2003 | MICHEL ZLOTOWSKI

[anotherview]

Nov. 15, 2003
Arsonists torch Jewish school near Paris
By MICHEL ZLOTOWSKI

Jewish school destroyed by a fire early Saturday in Gagny, north of Paris
Photo: AP

Fire gutted the Merkaz HaTorah Jewish secondary school in the Paris suburb of Gagny in the Seine-Saint-Denis region Saturday morning at 3am. There were no injuries.

Fire started simultaneously in two separate places on the first floor of the school where works were under way. A primary school and a kindergarten for 200 children were to be inaugurated there in January 2004. The arsonist or arsonists broke into the building through a ground floor window.

About 100 firefighters were called in to put out the flames, which destroyed some 3,000 square metres on the school's second floor.

France's Minister of Interior Nicolas Sarkozy and Minister of Education Luc Ferry visited the charred remnants of the building on Saturday. They were met by the head of the local Jewish community and by CRIF's (the umbrella body representing French Jewry) Director-general Haim Musicant.

"The criminal origin of the blaze is more than strongly suspected which gives, for this Jewish school, an anti-Semitic and obviously racist connotation," said Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy.

"This shows that there is still lots of work to do to fight against all forms of anti-Semitism," the minister added.

He vowed that those who set the fire would be caught and punished "with the greatest severity."

Musicant said he was worried by this aggression against a Jewish school. "In the homeland of human rights, attacks against children and schools are absolutely intolerable," he said.

"We know the French government's determination to fight anti-Semitism. We would like the arsonists to be arrested, tried and condemned in the hardest possible way to send a strong signal about France's commitment to fight anti-Semitism."

The Merkaz Hatorah school has some 160 junior high school students and 60 students in the high school.

With The Associated Press

[Paul Atreides]

The bloom is certainly off of the Fr*nch rose, isn't it? I thought stuff like this only happened in the gun-crazy, Jesus-freak-filled, racist United States. /sarcasm

[Arpege92]

Bush did it! NOT

[Paul Atreides]

Bush did it!

Have you been going through Ted Kennedy's wastebasket?

[Montfort]

The religion of submission (not peace.)

[GeronL]

These things have become common in France and Chirac doesn't really care. Muslims are important to french politicians and jews are liked liked by the liberal elite there.

[NYC GOP Chick]

"We know the French government's determination to fight anti-Semitism. We would like the arsonists to be arrested, tried and condemned in the hardest possible way to send a strong signal about France's commitment to fight anti-Semitism."

Yeah, sure. And I also believe in the Tooth Fairy.

[Paul Atreides]

It occurred to me the other day that the left believes in a policy of appeasement, except when it comes to tolerating conservatives.

[sheik yerbouty]

Well...Chirac may be a fairy..He'll give his favors to any impotentate.

[NYC GOP Chick]

He certainly knows how to bend over and take it, doesn't he?

[Norse]

are you saying there isn't a tooth fairy? ....there is, dangit, THERE IS.

[sheik yerbouty]

Rumor has it that he is prelubricated...

[xzins]

Too close to Nov 9 for me......there's a Kristallnacht parallel in there....purposely.

[xzins]

ping

[NYC GOP Chick]

The french usually are...

[jaz.357]

Its Never a Masque set on fire.

[Ciexyz]

Kristallnacht all over again, all over the world. France, Turkey...when will it end?

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Its Never a Masque set on fire.

Not yet, anyway.

[ASTM366]

I wonder why the Jews are so hated in Europe?

Can anyone shed a truthful light on this?

[anotherview]

I honestly don't know, but I do know this is precisely why having a strong, safe, secure Israel is so important. There must always be a Jewish state for Jews to have refuge in.