By Laurent Fabius and Bernard Cazeneuve, published in the New York Times July 10, 2014
Few democratic societies are as rich in populations of diverse origins as France’s. This is one of the many traits France shares with the United States. Both are countries of immigrants where citizenship is universal and does not depend on one’s ethnic or religious origins.
France, like other countries of the European Union, suffers from so-called “violent radical engagement,” whereby its citizens have been known to join militant activists abroad. One prime example of this phenomenon is French youth departing to Syria to join that country’s militant groups. This engagement of civilians in insurgent areas "in the name of the ummah" (community) is not a new occurrence, as French citizens have already taken part in the conflicts in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Iraq, similarly in the name of jihad.
As long as European authorities fail to take drastic measures against anti-Israel instigators, murderous attacks on Jews will only increase.
It was only a matter of time. The writing – or, to be more precise, the writings – has been on the wall for years. And not just in Europe. I would even dare say that, surprisingly, there have only been a few murderous attacks against Jews or Jewish institutions.
Nowhere is the crisis of modernity felt more acutely than in France where for a quarter-century now globalization has brought moroseness and mistrust on an epic scale. Uneasy with capitalism, uncomfortable with flexibility, unpersuaded by the so-called Anglo-Saxon model, France has retreated into its rancor. Immigrants and openness have constituted threat more than possibility.
The shared fear of Muslims has not yet led major Jewish organizations to lift their boycotts against dubious politicians in far-right parties.
The investigation of Sunday’s shooting at the Jewish Museum in Brussel is still ongoing, and assessments regarding the motive are varied, but Belgian authorities say the attack, which is being investigated as a terror incident, has anti-Semitic characteristics.
On the occasion of the visit to France of H.E. Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. Special Envoy for Combating Anti-Semitism, for the Paris Peace Forum, the Crif organized a conversation with former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls.
On the night of November 7-8, 2024 in Amsterdam, dozens of Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were lynched in the street because they were Jewish. Several people were injured in this organized manhunt and others are reportedly missing. Crif President Yonathan Arfi reacted on X and in the media to denounce this “antisemitic lynching.”
On Thursday, October 24, 2024, Crif President Yonathan Arfi published a statement regarding French President Emmanuel Macron words on Israel's military policy.
"How is it already October 7th when it is still October 7th? It was yesterday, it was an eternity ago." stated Crif President Yonathan Arfi on Monday, October 7, 2024, at the Dôme de Paris during an important ceremony in tribute of the 1 200 victims of October 7.
"In the Jewish tradition, time belongs to Man. It is our actions, our wishes, our hopes that outline the contours of our collective destiny. By wishing "Shana Tova", each of us commits to act in an attempt to make the world a better place." stated Yonathan Arfi on Rosh Hashana eve.
The Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism, a landmark, international framework was initially launched in Buenos Aires, Argentina in July 2024, and endorsed by dozens of countries and multilateral organizations.
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