“When someone attacks a French citizen because of his background or his beliefs, he attacks France and what it holds most precious.”

 

French PM reveals new strategy to combat 'shameful' antisemitism
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe attends a ceremony at the Buffault Synagogue in Paris, France, October 2, 2017.. (photo credit:REUTERS/CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/POOL)

Amid ongoing concerns over the mounting threat of antisemitism and Islamist terror, French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced “a new plan to combat antisemitism” during a speech at Paris’s Buffault Synagogue on Monday.

Speaking at a ceremony following the Jewish New Year, Philippe revealed that the plan, set to be implemented from 2018 to 2020, will be “conceived and developed in close partnership with civil society and obviously [the Jewish community].”

One of the key objectives of the new plan, the French premier explained, is to fight online antisemitism. In particular, he added, the need to counter hate that has “overrun social media” and which should not remain unpunished.

“A sustainable fight against antisemitism necessarily calls for prevention, through education and culture,” said Philippe.

In recent years, France has suffered a wave of terror attacks, including several targeting the country’s Jewish community. Philippe mentioned the kidnap and murder of Ilan Halimi in 2006, the killing of four Jews at Toulouse’s Ozar HaTorah school in 2012, the attack on the Hyper Casher kosher supermarket in January 2015 and the April 2017 murder of Sarah Halimi in Paris as examples of “the ultra-violence of Islamist terrorism and barbarism.”

“When someone attacks a French citizen because of his background or his beliefs,” Philippe added, “he attacks France and what it holds most precious: its way of life, its values, its heritage… And when you insult a French citizen for these reasons, you insult the memory of those who have given their life to ensure that these values prevail.”

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe delivers a speech to the Jewish Community for the Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashanah, at the Buffault Synagogue in Paris, France, October 2, 2017. (Reuters)
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe delivers a speech to the Jewish Community for the Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashanah, at the Buffault Synagogue in Paris, France, October 2, 2017. (Reuters)

 

Philippe emphasized that the “insufficient decrease” in “shameful, cowardly” antisemitism in France in 2016 does not indicate that this dangerous reality has shifted. “This reality is the normalization of antisemitism, and its reinvented form, as President [Macron] said, anti-Zionism.”

The Chief Rabbi of France, government officials, ambassadors and former Prime Minister of France Manuel Valls also attended the event.

Philippe repeated the words from the former prime minister’s January 2015 speech to France’s National Assembly following the attack on the Hyper Casher supermarket: “We cannot permit that in France, the land of Jewish emancipation two centuries ago, also a place of Jewish suffering 70 years ago, we will hear cries of ‘Death to Jews’ in our streets.”

“The awakening of antisemitism is a symptom of a democratic crisis,” Philippe said.

The prime minister also paid tribute to France’s “closest partner,” Israel. Philippe saluted the 150,000 French citizens living in Israel, describing them as France’s best ambassadors of the nation’s language and culture. He highlighted next year’s France-Israel Season, a six-month event which will run simultaneously in both countries, as an example of their close cooperation.

Extending his best wishes for the new year to the Jewish community, the prime minister looked forward to developing bilateral ties. “We hold onto this relationship, and we want to deepen it in all ways, economically and culturally,” said Philippe.

“President [Macron] has announced his visit to Israel next spring. I would also like to visit next year,” he concluded.

As reported by The Jerusalem Post