Le Pen triumph spreads fear among France's Jews

Reuters ^ | 4/22/02 | Emelia Sithole and Glaieul Mamaghani

[Unam Sanctam]

Well I do feel sorry for the French Jews, caught between a left wing that doesn't lift a finger to condemn the anti-Semitic violence of recent weeks and a far right Holocaust denier. Vive Chirac!

[Willie Green]

It is rather ironic that the anti-semitism smear is being used to facilitate increased Muslim emigration to Europe. I would think that the French Jewish community would be supportive of Le Pen, lest their numbers be overwhelmed by Palestinian sympathizers.

[joltinjoe]

What a BS article. There are only some 600k Jews in france and some 5 million arabs. Shouldn't the arabs be more upset? This is a vote against arab slums and criminality. I agree with an earlier post. Since when does Reuters give a crap about anti-semitism in France? As for the holocaust. It was a terrible thing, but it is done and over. Time to move on. It is just a blip in history of mans inhumanity towards man. It's not the first and it won't be the last. Go LePen.

[Michael2001]

I don't know much about French politics, but I have seen nothing so show that Le Pen dislikes Jews. I believe his second in command is married to a Jew. I have a feeling the Jews would prefer him to the Muslims.

[skeeter]

All of a sudden Reuters is worried about anti-semitism again.

Truth is at the rate the current government is letting in Algerian moslems France's jews would likely be better off with an anti-immigration president in charge.

[rmlew]

It is rather ironic that the anti-semitism smear is being used to facilitate increased Muslim emigration to Europe. I would think that the French Jewish community would be supportive of Le Pen, lest their numbers be overwhelmed by Palestinian sympathizers.

I actually agree with you here. However Jews are already outnimbered big time. 1 in 10 in France are Muslim.

I would like to see Le Pen meet with prominent Jewish leaders and explain his new position that since Jews have been part of France for 1600 years, they are real French.
As for the Holocaust comment, Le Pen should explain it in a manner that does not minimize the Holocaust, but explains the total slaughter by socialists this century.

[arm958]

Poor, poor French. They don't know what conservatives are. Perhaps someone can explain to them that there is a political realm between socialism and facsism.

[Willie Green]

As for the Holocaust comment, Le Pen should explain it in a manner that does not minimize the Holocaust, but explains the total slaughter by socialists this century.

I agree that this comment should be examined.
I am unfamiliar with the context under which it was made, and wary of those who would "spin" it into a smear.

[SauronOfMordor]

I would bet this is merely a smear tactic against JM LePen.

I agree. I think what the Leftists are afraid of is that Chirac would be forced to form a coalition with LePen, and the Communists would be shut out of power.

[SauronOfMordor]

As for the Holocaust comment, Le Pen should explain it in a manner that does not minimize the Holocaust, but explains the total slaughter by socialists this century.

While the Holocaust was a big event to the Jewish community, the numbers are small compared to the slaughters committed by Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot.

[FreedomSurge]

"Le Pen refers to the Holocaust as a mere 'detail' of history"

It comes as a shock to many that WWII was not just about the Jews. World wide about 45 million people were killed. A whole lot more Russians and Chinese were killed than Jews. Many, many people other than Jews suffered. I do not want to offend you, but in my opinion, even though they are not members of the chosen race, I believe the suffering of all humans during that war was lamentable. Not only was the suffering of the Jews horrible but the suffering of the Russians, Chinese, Romanians, etc was bad too.

[cicero's_son]

"In any case these elections reinforce our determination to work to change things."

How so, Fouad? By dousing Synagogues with gasoline and lighting them on fire?

[Nonstatist]

Jews prefer voting for a man who turns a blind eye to muslim attacks

By and large they didnt vote for Jospin, whose gov't it was that turned a 'blind eye'. Thats one of the reasons LePen came in second.

Chirac is merely President and not Prime Minister. Two different positions altogether.

[Nonstatist]

aren't the Jews who were born and live in France French?

Tell LePen that.

[Nonstatist]

Without the extreme leftists .. maybe Chirac can control immigration and reduce crime

Thats what I'm hoping, too.

[wardaddy]

Can someone please post documentation of Le Pen's views on Jews or Israel? I know he's considered far right by Euro-standards....which should mean he'd be regular consevative here. I know his stance on immigration.

[ikanakattara]

This is France, not the US. Getting rid of Muslim immigrants will NOT solve the problem of French anti-semitism among the French right-wing.

[PuNcH]

The socialists went rioting in the streets and broke windows as they love to do and they also waved communist flags.

I guess the mass murder of millions and millions of people that flag and communism has stood over is just a "small detail".

I would like to see a more objective source of how french jews feel about Le Pen than just a liberal news-media representing people as they see fit.