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French anti-Semitism has Jews heading for Israel, hiding religion
Jerusalem Post ^ | Jan. 9, 2003 | AP

Posted on 01/09/2003 4:56:51 PM PST by Nachum

PARIS - Jewish parents tell their sons not to wear yarmulkes. A rabbi is stabbed while preparing for a Sabbath service. Elderly women are frisked before entering synagogues - just in case.

As the stresses of being Jewish in France multiply, some feel it safer to hide their religion. Others have decided the only solution is to pack up and leave.

Statistics released this week by the Jewish Agency, the body that arranges immigration to Israel, show that 2,326 French Jews emigrated to Israel in 2002, more than double the number of a year earlier.

French arrivals were a mere 6.7 percent of the total, but it represented the largest percentage of French immigrants to Israel since 1972. At that time, Israel had quadrupled its territory from the 1967 Six Day War and Jews flocked there full of hope.

Today, their reasons for going are different. In synagogues and at Jewish gatherings, people say they are afraid and fed up. Though the new conservative government has loudly condemned recent attacks, many wonder if France's leaders are committed to fighting anti-Semitism.

"In Israel, at least we know the government is on our side," said Stephanie Ohana, a 34-year-old Parisian Jew, at a prayer service this week for her rabbi, who was injured in a stabbing. "It's paradoxical, isn't it? But we have the feeling we'd be safer in Israel."

Last Friday's knifing of Rabbi Gabriel Farhi stunned France. It came after a relative lull in anti-Semitic attacks that coincided with violence in the Middle East.

It started with a menacing letter the morning of the attack that said: "We want the skin of Rabbi Gabriel Farhi and will avenge the blood of our Palestinian brothers," according to the Liberal Jewish Movement of France, a group founded by Farhi's father.

Later that day, Farhi was preparing for Friday night services when the synagogue doorbell rang. As he opened the door, he says, an attacker in a motorcycle helmet lunged forward with a knife, shouted "God is great!" in Arabic and fled. The man has not been caught.

Farhi, 34, a leading figure in France's liberal Jewish community, was slightly injured and released from the hospital the same day. Then, on Monday, his car was torched in his apartment parking lot.

"I want to believe that this was an isolated act," Farhi said, "and not the prelude to other attacks and a new wave of anti-Semitism."

At an ecumenical prayer service held in support of Farhi at his Paris synagogue this week, the turnout was impressive. Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders attended, along with many political leaders. Four former prime ministers: Lionel Jospin, Alain Juppe, Edouard Balladur and Laurent Fabius, sat beside each other wearing yarmulkes, the traditional Jewish skull cap.

France's tough new law-and-order interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, also attended. Sarkozy, who has launched a sweeping anti-crime campaign, guaranteed new measures to prevent future attacks, Farhi said.

"It's clear that the government is listening better now," Farhi said, adding that he wanted to see results. "I'm waiting for concrete measures."

Authorities increased security at Jewish religious sites last year, following a wave of attacks at synagogues, Jewish schools and cemeteries. In the most serious case, a synagogue in southern Marseille was burned to the ground.

But Farhi and others say police presence and metal detectors alone are not the answer. Asked what needs to be done, he replied: "Perhaps stricter laws. Perhaps some more concern, I would say, from the police and from the government."

Last spring, French President Jacques Chirac insisted there was no anti-Semitism in France even as Jewish groups placed the number of anti-Jewish attacks at the highest level since World War II.

Of late, he has taken a tougher tone.

"There is no room in our country for anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia or for manifestations of religious intolerance," Chirac wrote in a letter to the rabbi cited by Le Monde newspaper.

France is home to an estimated 600,000 Jews - the largest Jewish community in western Europe - and one of the continent's largest Muslim populations. Islam is France's second-largest religion after Roman Catholicism.

Jews find themselves taking pains to hide their identity in public.

"My son goes to a Jewish school," said Francis Lentschner, vice president of the liberal Jewish movement. "He can wear his kippah (yarmulke) in school. But I prefer him not to wear one outside."

Ohana wears a Hebrew letter on a gold chain around her neck. Lately, she said, she keeps it tucked inside her collar.

"It hurts. It really does," she said. "We're starting to hide that we're Jewish."


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: antisemitism; arielsharon; france; french; hiding; israel; jacqueschirac; jews; judeophobia
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To: UbIwerks; xzins; fortheDeclaration; Commander8; Alamo-Girl; RnMomof7
Your# 31)..............................bttt

Hizbollah said that in 20 years (I guess now 13) France will be an Islamic Republic.

Wow!

41 posted on 01/10/2003 5:37:00 AM PST by maestro
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To: Clive
Dalrymple wrote a magnificent essay, "Barbarians at the Gate", describing the hordes of Arabs surrounding the fading jewel of Paris. The rich live in the midst of this frail and beautiful city, set upon by young criminal Muslims whoa ride into the city's center courtesy of the fine public transportation. The police are submissive, lazy and intimidated.

The great fashion houses of Chanel, St. Laurent--will soon be featuring burquas, abayas, chadors and assorted hijab for the women of Paris, at the point of a scimitar.

How many years before the Louvre is sacked, and who will weep for the effete?

42 posted on 01/10/2003 5:51:48 AM PST by Mamzelle
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To: Nachum
Jewish parents tell their sons not to wear yarmulkes. A rabbi is stabbed while preparing for a Sabbath service

Disgusting. Jews should be wearing flourescent yarmulkes, travel in groups of three, and carry concealed weapons everywhere they go. Any Arab who so much as hits a Jew should be killed. They must show that Jewish blood is not cheap. That is the only way the assault will stop. There must be one Jewish multi-millionare who would be willing to finance to arming of Jews worldwide.

43 posted on 01/10/2003 6:10:36 AM PST by montag813
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To: expatguy
I agree that the Muslim presence in France poses a grave danger for France's future, but Muslims currently constitute barely over 10% of the total population. In terms of political power, they have very little, far less than, for example, blacks in America. While it is true that their numbers (and consequent political power) are due to skyrocket soon, so will the numbers and political power of Frenchmen ready, willing, and able to do something about it.
44 posted on 01/10/2003 9:43:56 AM PST by Artois
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To: BenR2
When you are through rolling on the floor, I urge you to review the article that was posted. Should you do so, you will not help but notice that Interior Minister Sarkozy is enacting measures which will do exactly that.
45 posted on 01/10/2003 9:46:35 AM PST by Artois
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To: UbIwerks
With respect to "loathsome ideologies", I would say that Frankfurt, Germany is up there, too (ever heard of the Frankfurt School?). Out of curiosity, how many of the Bolsheviks were French?
46 posted on 01/10/2003 9:48:43 AM PST by Artois
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To: Nachum
Farhi, 34, a leading figure in France's liberal Jewish community, was slightly injured and released from the hospital the same day. Then, on Monday, his car was torched in his apartment parking lot.

The JPost apparently uses the word "liberal" in the American sense, as in "rabidly left-wing," and not in the European sense, which is classical liberalism.

It's usually funny when left-wingers are stabbed by the monsters they spend so much time defending.

47 posted on 01/10/2003 9:51:00 AM PST by xm177e2
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To: Artois
There were a very large number of French commies. Factory worker commies helped bring down France in WWII by sabotaging equipment built for the French army (at the time, the Molotov-Ribbentop Pact was in effect, so the commies were allied with the Nazis)
48 posted on 01/10/2003 9:52:36 AM PST by xm177e2
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To: UbIwerks; quebecois; Platero
The Muslims aggressors are hardly limiting their aggression to French Jews; I have read numerous reports about gang-rapes of young French girls from these Muslims. It is interesting that no one seems to comment about this, or start threads about it.
49 posted on 01/10/2003 9:53:32 AM PST by Artois
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To: UbIwerks
French, Europeans in general, are for the most part Nazi scum and they should be treated as such.

Hopefully, there will be some Jews who will give them a real reason to hate the Jews.

Btw... France tried to juridically harass a person who tried to tell the truth about Islam so they are guilty in this persecution of the Jews (which may be why some people here are defending them).



A lot of dead beats, fronting as cover, have quite recently been buying real estate and done some other major investments in several European countries.
Turns out later, the companies in question have a big muslim shareholder, this of course brings political influence.
To tell the truth about islam is connected with great stigma, precisely because the socialist liberals together with their muslim auxiliaries made it so.
How many PR-firms works in favor of their agendas and contrary to European interests?!
That is not the way democracies should work!
Who if anyone considers the genocide on Orthodox Christians? Not very PC bringing that up!
Besides that, who really gave a rats a$$ about Serbs fighting the very same jihadis, who now intimidates Jews?
To say that most Europeans have Nazi leanings is a gross exaggeration.


Europeans are supposed to give admission of entry to muslim Turkey in EU.
Shelter islamist jihadis, nurse and educate them.
Be used as hatchets against other fellow Eastern European nations.
Bad mouth honest politicians, who criticize immigration policies.
Raze resistance against islam in South East Europe.


Anyway, nobody is speaking about the ongoing silent genocide of Eastern Europeans.
The slavery with women is another horrific Holocaust never heard of.
It couldn't be more disgusting and gruesome, like it was engineered by the devil himself. Koffi Annan and his Swedish wife, together with leftie humanitarian-feminists, don't care about this slavery since it's white women concerned.
Women from Moldavia, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria are sold and disturbed more by for-profit organ removal and surrogate motherhood than by the sex trade.
But then again, it's more important to give way for thirdworlders, their human rights and neglect the plight of fellow Europeans.
The remark concerning some people defending the French needs clarification. Who defended Christian European Serbs during the Humanitarian Terror War Bombing?
That if anything should bring great shame, considering the events during WWII.


Valerie Giscard d' Estaing
50 posted on 01/10/2003 10:13:18 AM PST by OriginalHeyduke (Valerie Giscard d' Estaing)
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To: Artois
With respect to "loathsome ideologies", I would say that Frankfurt, Germany is up there, too (ever heard of the Frankfurt School?). Out of curiosity, how many of the Bolsheviks were French?

We both know that the Frankfurt School came to America with bad results; e.g., Herbert Marcuse. I'm no apologist for that Gramscian garbage.

51 posted on 01/10/2003 10:29:06 AM PST by UbIwerks
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To: Artois
The Muslims aggressors are hardly limiting their aggression to French Jews; I have read numerous reports about gang-rapes of young French girls from these Muslims. It is interesting that no one seems to comment about this, or start threads about it.

It's in Australia I heard about that. I read the Free Republic and haven't heard it mentioned here.

52 posted on 01/10/2003 10:31:43 AM PST by UbIwerks
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Comment #53 Removed by Moderator

To: OriginalHeyduke
Save response for later, s'il vous plait.
54 posted on 01/10/2003 10:42:35 AM PST by UbIwerks
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To: Artois; UbIwerks
Bad behaviour not suited to a court of law

Multiculturalists to Rape Victims: You Had It Coming
55 posted on 01/10/2003 10:50:21 AM PST by OriginalHeyduke (Valerie Giscard d' Estaing)
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To: UbIwerks
http://www.vdare.com/francis/gang_rape.htm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,482120,00.html

I realize that the source of the first link is a controversial figure, but, while there may be cause to question his overall views, there is little cause to question his accuracy on this particular point.

Not that this behavior is limited to France, or Australia, for that matter. It's happening all over Europe and seems to happen in proportion to the number of Third Worlders present in a particular nation.

56 posted on 01/10/2003 11:17:56 AM PST by Artois
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To: maestro; xzins
Hizbollah said that in 20 years (I guess now 13) France will be an Islamic Republic. Wow!

England is in not much better shape.

All of Europe needs our missionary activity and prayer!

57 posted on 01/10/2003 12:12:13 PM PST by fortheDeclaration
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To: maestro
Thanks for the heads up!
58 posted on 01/10/2003 12:21:58 PM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: Artois
When you are through rolling on the floor, I urge you to review the article that was posted. Should you do so, you will not help but notice that Interior Minister Sarkozy is enacting measures which will do exactly that.

"WILL do that?" "WILL DO THAT?!!!!"

I am once again rolling on the floor laughing.

In a society that believes in "liberte, egalite, et fraternite," the correct answer is: "here are the examples of how we HAVE DONE that."

Too late. Sarkozy is posturing for the media. French Jews see the handwriting on the wall. What Charles Martel stopped at Tours, the French are abetting today: Namely surrender of their culture, security, and women to the Satanic cult of Islam.

Ann Coulter just may be right when she suggests that we: Bomb France.

59 posted on 01/10/2003 1:37:23 PM PST by BenR2
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To: BenR2
First, the French response to this recent spate of Mohammedan aggression is no less pathetic than the US response the Crown Heights pogrom a few years ago in New York City.

Second, when the perpetrators of these offenses have been apprehended, they have been punished. Now, the new Interior Minister, not previously in a position to anything about it (since he wasn't the Interior Minister before) is going to take additional measures. One good measure that probably won't be taken- stop Muslim immigration to France (and maybe start deporting Muslims to boot!). If that measure is suggested, Jewish groups such as the ADL will immediately scream about "racism". Ironic, don't you think?

Finally, Ann Coulter is hardly a foreign policy expert. Having said that, her odious column, obnoxious as it was, was written tongue in cheek and is hardly a sound basis for American policy.

60 posted on 01/10/2003 1:52:57 PM PST by Artois
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