Jews in France worried by spike in antisemitic attacks

PARIS – The French Jewish community is increasingly concerned over the significant spike in antisemitic acts perpetrated since Saturday across the country, on the backdrop of Hamas's attack against Israel. 

Jewish institutions and schools are under tight security protection for several years now, and French police is vigilant over offering permits to carry weapons, but French Jews still live in fear of spontaneous violent acts by antisemites, using kitchen knives or other readily-available deadly means, as was the case last Friday in the city of Arras where a 20-year-old killed Dominique Bernard in front of the school where he was teaching. The perpetrator of the act yelled Allahu Akbar before stabbing Bernard. 

The realities of a French Jewish student

Stephane, a 21-year-old student at Sorbonne, recalled: ‘’I went to a Jewish school, and we were always told to be careful. To take off the kippah once we step out of the doors of the school building and walk home quickly. The situation now is reminiscent of the stress we were under in 2015, following the attack on the Hyper Casher store.’’ Still, studying in a Jewish school and attending a public university are two very different things. ‘’As a student in the university," Stephane said, "I am often confronted with accusations on the way Israel allegedly treats the Palestinians.

The pro-Palestinian student cell is quite active. Since Saturday, me and my friends are tracking the different rallies being held across France in support of Hamas. For the moment, these took place mostly in city centers, but I fear that soon they will arrive loser to home, at the universities as well.’’

Many French Jews fear that the initial sympathy with Israel over the attack by Hamas will turn into animosity once hundreds of thousands of Palestinians make their way from the north of the Gaza Strip to the south. French Jews have reason to worry: Shortly after the attack against Israel, French politicians from the extreme left refused to condemn Hamas, or to qualify the atrocities they committed, in which over 1,300 Israelis were murdered, as terror acts.

Like many other French Jews, David brought together his enlarged family for a Shabbat dinner. They all share the need to support each other in this hour of grief, but also to help each other through the difficult situation they find themselves in, here in Paris.

‘’France is one of the only countries in the free world where the political class was not unanimous in condemning the horrific acts of Hamas. True, in Britain there were also harsh words from certain political figures. But here, we had some legislators ignoring the Israeli victims. When news came out on the terrible things that happened in the south of Israel, we were all shocked. Political classes across the globe stood together, condemning these atrocities, but not here in France,’’ David said.

‘’Leader of the extreme-left party Jean-Luc Melanchon accused the Jewish leadership of France of cooperating with the French extreme right. The proof, according to him, is that the extreme right condemned the attack by Hamas. He said also that by aligning with the right-wing Israeli government, French Jewish institutions were isolating themselves and preventing France from expressing its solidarity.’’

For David, this is unacceptable. ‘’Melanchon is exploiting the situation for political reasons. We have seen the German political class standing unequivocally behind Israel in its terrible moment. The same was and is true in Italy and other European countries. It is regrettable that this is not the situation in France,’’ he added.

Jonathan Arfi, head of the French Jewish umbrella organization, expressed similar sentiments. ‘’This is not new. We have seen it in 2012, with the attack on the Jewish school Ozar Hatorah and others, an antisemitic attack on the pretext of defending a Palestinian cause,’’ Afri told The Jerusalem Post. "This is happening now again. We all must be very vigilant.’’

For Arfi, the declarations made by Melanchon and by other leaders of the extreme left are dangerous. Contrary to what Melanchon is saying, the CRIF and the other Jewish institutions have always distanced themselves from the French far-right, and have no intention of changing their position. 

French Jews with whom the Post spoke expressed their trust in French authorities security-wise: "Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin is very attentive to the threat of antisemitism. He has been very clear about that since taking office, and especially this recent week. The minister of justice also clarified that any support of Hamas is punishable by up to five years imprisonment. These statements are important, because they send a strong message to anyone thinking of attacking Jews or Jewish institutions,’’ a Jewish doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Post. 

The Jewish doctor speaks out of experience. The bronze plate on his building featuring his name and profession for patients coming to his clinic, has been vandalized more than once in past years (he has a very ‘’Jewish’’ name). ‘’There are no ‘’small’’ antisemitic acts. It’s a question of atmosphere, of what the French society agrees to tolerate. Darmanin made clear that the policy of the government on antisemitism is zero tolerance.’’

Esther, also a student at the Sorbonne, feels a bit differently over the reaction of the French authorities. ‘’True, Darmanin’s reactions are very reassuring on how police and law-enforcement agencies are expected to act and react.

Still, I would have liked our president to use stronger words on the French-Israeli hostages held in Gaza. After all, there are close to 200,000 French Jews living in Israel! Mr. Macron said that this is not acceptable. He didn’t threaten Hamas that France will not tolerate such a situation. It would have been good to see him traveling to Israel immediately after the catastrophe of last Saturday’’ she said.