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NEWS
Arabs Try to Attack a Shul in Carteille, France -- Renewed Antisemitism
in France
by Arnon Yaffe, Paris
Arab youngsters tried to attack a shul in Carteille, on the outskirts
of Paris on Shabbos parshas Nosso. Dozens of them cordoned off the
shul in the port district, beat Jewish children, shouted antisemitic
comments at the people in the shul, and threatened to burn it down.
The police was alerted, but did not turn up. Jewish youngsters organized
self-defense groups and expelled the Arabs.
A lot of tension could be felt later in this small town, with a Jewish
population of over 20,000 and a large religious community.
The Jewish newspaper Actuelle Juive reports that local Communist
mayors are inciting Arab residents by organizing pro-Palestinian and anti-
Israeli events. At these meetings left-wing Jews are recruited to denounce
Israel and make antisemitic remarks. Correspondents from newspapers such as
Le Monde take part in these meetings as "experts" on the situation in
the Middle East.
Eli Brenebi, the Israeli ambassador in France, accused Le Monde and
other organizations which influence public opinion, of fanning hatred
against Israel and of irresponsibility towards the Jewish population of
France. He writes that "the picture on the front page of the newspaper,
which seeks to make a comparison between a chareidi Jew, who is meant to
symbolize a settler, and a Muslim terrorist surrounded with bombs after the
Tel-Aviv atrocity, is shocking. The comparison is immoral, and Le
Monde is misusing its prestige and, by means of this illustration, which
appears as part of an article by the editor, is increasing the public's
confusion."
Brenebi writes further that the suicide bombers, so far from being an
expression of desperation, are actually weapons to drive Israelis into the
sea. At the same time that this article appeared in Le Monde, the
Communist party and Palestinian groups organized a demonstration against
Sharon's cancelled visit to Paris. Hundreds of French and Arab
demonstrators carried antisemitic placards, swastikas and mogen
dovids.
There are about 300,000 Jews living in the outskirts of Paris side-by-side
with Arabs. In all these areas the Arabs continue to harass Jews, cursing
them and throwing stones. In Paris itself verbal abuse against Jews on the
Metro (subway) and from cars is on the increase. In the Communist-dominated
town of Jeantaille, the PLO representative Lila Shahid, and the Communist
mayor, opened a photo exhibition, which glorifies the heroism of young
Palestinians in their struggle against Israel. "The exhibition expresses
the humanity of the Palestinians," Shahid explained at the opening. At her
side was an Israeli anti-Zionist, Michel Warshavsky, who described the
Israelis' war crimes to his young Arab audience. However, the latter
shouted antisemitic insults at him, which have become a standard part of
their vocabulary.
According to Jewish activists, the exhibition displays gruesome pictures
and aims to incite unemployed Arabs with a violent tendency. In the
Communist towns anti-Israeli and antisemitic propaganda in the old Soviet
style, is rampant. Its purpose is to win the sympathy of young local Arabs.
Their organizations initiate so-called pro-Intifada tours financed by the
municipalities. The mayor of Montreux, also a Communist, came under fire,
when he cancelled a pro- Palestinian festival, stating that in a town with
both a Jewish and an Arab population there was no reason for holding an
event which incites to violence and was likely to harm the Jewish
population.
French Jews have noted an upsurge in threats by Arab youngsters after a
period of calm. The Chief Rabbi of France, Rabbi Joseph Sitruk, called last
week on French Islamic leaders to meet with the French rabbinate in order
to discuss ways of lessening the tension and preventing the further
increase of violence. He has not received any responses so far.
The official heads of Islam in France, if any such exist, have no influence
over young Arabs, who are goaded on by local imams, French Communist
representatives, and propaganda from the Arab and French media.
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