Target Centermass

Category: Europe

  • Sharon Urges Jews in France to Leave as Anti-Semitism Grows

    The French may not disagree, but Ariel Sharon is urging Jews to leave France.

    The Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday urged Jews to flee France to escape a rising tide of anti-Semitism. While acknowledging that the French government was fighting racial violence, Mr Sharon warned of “the spread of the wildest anti-Semitism” in France.

    Speaking to visiting American Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, Mr Sharon said: “If I have to advocate to our brothers in France, I will tell them one thing – ‘Move to Israel, as early as possible’. I say that to Jews all around the world, but there [in France] I think it’s a must and they have to move immediately.” He added: “In France today, about 10 per cent of the population are Muslims … that gets a different kind of anti-Semitism, based on anti-Israeli feelings and propaganda.”

    France is home to Western Europe’s biggest Jewish and Muslim communities with 600,000 Jews and five million Muslims. But it has been troubled by attacks on Jewish people and property in recent years, some of it blamed on youths of North African origin angered by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

    The latest French Interior Ministry figures show 510 anti-Jewish acts or threats in the first six months of 2004 – compared to 593 for all of last year.

    Yes, it may seem silly to urge Jews out of France to the safety of Israel. However, urging Jews to leave France, ever growing more hostile for them, is not a bad idea and, if current trends continue, may increasingly become a very good idea. At least in Israel, they would have a home that would fight for their protection.

  • Gang Attacks Mother on French Train

    In a display of misplaced anti-semitism and cowardice, the AP tells the story of a young mother assaulted on a train, apparently because the attackers mistook her as a Jew.

    A gang of young men attacked a woman riding a suburban train with her infant, cutting her hair and drawing swastikas on her stomach. Other passengers watched but did nothing, police reported.

    French politicians issued denunciations Sunday as news of the Friday morning attack spread through the nation.

    Police said the gang of six set upon the 23-year-old woman on a suburban train north of Paris and grabbed her backpack where they found identity papers that showed an address in the capital’s well-to-do 16th district. “There are only Jews in the 16th,” one of the group of attackers said.

    The young woman, who was not identified, was not Jewish and no longer lived in the district, police said.

    Ah, France, the great bastion of freedom and justice. Of course, here is the part that does not surprise me:

    According to the police account, none of the passengers on the train came to the woman’s rescue.

    EDIT: It seems the whole story was fraudulent. This lady may be nuts, but she seems to have a good read on her fellow French, nevertheless.

    French President Jacques Chirac had called the alleged attack shameful. But during his annual Bastille Day television interview, following the woman’s retraction, he called the whole affair regrettable.

    But Mr. Chirac said he does not regret his earlier condemnation of the alleged incident. He said France is currently in a period of racist acts against Jews, Muslims, and others. He said the attacks are unacceptable and violate the country’s principles.

  • Muslim Cleric’s Visit Ignites Complaints in Britain

    VOA is reporting that a visiting Islamic cleric is causing a stir across the pond for his previous defense of Palestinian suicide bombings.

    One prominent Jewish member of Parliament, Louise Ellman, said there is plenty of evidence against the cleric.

    “Dr. Qaradawi is on record supporting mass murder through suicide bombings,” she said. “That means killing young children at pizza parlors, it means folk singers on Tel Aviv beach being blown up, it means people at religious festivals being blown up. And he is inciting mass murder.”

    Mr. al-Qaradawi’s defenders in Britain say his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict represent mainstream opinion among most Muslims. They also point out that he condemned the terrorist attacks against the United States in 2001, as well as the bombings in Madrid last March.

    The Muslim Association of Britain, which is sponsoring his visit, said he was delivering a sermon Friday at London’s Central Mosque that emphasizes the responsibility of Muslims to be active and law-abiding participants in Britain’s democracy.

    I’m torn as to whether this guy should just be expelled or whether he should be grabbed, handed over to the Israelis and forced to spend the rest of his life in pizzarias and discos until he renounces terrorism.

    I find it interesting that he denounce the 9/11 and Madrid bombings. I do wonder, though, if these denunciations were voiced in Arabic to his fellow Egyptians.

  • France, Iraq to Re-Establish Relations

    The AP is reporting that France and Iraq will renew diplomatic ties shortly.

    After a 13-year interruption, France and Iraq (news – web sites) intend to re-establish diplomatic relations within the next few days, the French Foreign Ministry confirmed Monday.

    Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi met Monday with Bernard Bajolet, France’s highest diplomatic representative in Iraq, and discussed restoration of ties that Saddam Hussein (news – web sites) broke off in 1991 during the Gulf War (news – web sites), a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

    “Mr. Allawi said he wanted to do it as fast as possible so that France can participate in the reconstruction of Iraq,” the spokesman said. “We welcomed that very positively.”

    France, always there for the Francs. Nevertheless, this is a good move for the fledgling Iraqi government and its efforts to establish legitimacy.

  • Iraq Seeks European Help With Security

    Iraq is requesting training assistance from France and Germany for its security forces.

    Iraq (news – web sites)’s deputy foreign minister appealed Friday to France and Germany to help build and train the country’s security forces, saying the new Iraqi government wants to broaden its relations beyond Washington and London.

    This is a very sharp move, if I’m reading this correctly. By going straight to the heart of our erstwhile allies, the new Iraqi government can present an argument that it is not just a U.S. puppet while still getting a valuable commodity. Also, if agreed that the training is in Europe, France and Germany have little ground on which to base a refusal.

    “We want balanced relations with all the countries of the world, and we are seeking the help of the international community to build a new Iraq built on democracy and respect for human rights,” al-Bayati said.

    This paints the Euros into a corner: help the new Iraqi government find stability and thus strengthen the American chance of long-term success or look like schmucks on the world stage.