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.
This week, the Yom Haatzmaut celebrations began throughout Israel and around the world. Israel is celebrating its 70th birthday and the world intends to celebrate this new decade as it should!
The ceremony of reading the names of the Jewish deportees of France, organized by Paris Shoah Memorial, took place on the 11th and 12th of April. It continued uninterrupted during 24 hours. Francis Kalifat, President of Crif, was present and took part in the reading.
Francis Kalifat: "Antisemitic hatred has a strange ability to reinvent itself in many forms, and we need a real definition that includes all of its current forms, including anti-Zionism."
Tonight, Crif calls for a gathering, at 6:30pm from Place de la Nation in Paris. Together, let's gather against hatred. Together, let's walk to honor the memory of our missing. And together, let's be united against terrorism.