French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe recently made a statement about anti-Semitism in his country which was unusually accurate and honest. After the United States announced we were going to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, attacks on European Jews began: 20 men threw firebombs at Swedish synagogue; a Palestinian waving his national flag attacked a kosher restaurant in the Netherlands, and protestors in Paris promoted a boycott of Israel.
While Philippe addressed the CRIF umbrella group of French Jewish communities, he said anti-Semitism “always tries to justify itself with new pretext.”
“In our country, anti-Semitism is alive. It is not new, it is ancient. It is not superficial, it is well-rooted and it is alive. And it hides always behind new masks, attempts to justify itself through diverse reasons. This ideology of hate is here, it’s present and it’s making some French Jews to make aliyah,” Philippe said. “It should be a spiritual choice but it pains all citizens of the republic when it’s a form of self exile, made out of insecurity and fear.
“Aliyah” is the Hebrew word for Jews immigrating to Israel.
And it makes sense why Jews would leave. Though it’s great that the French Prime Minister finally admitted their anti-Semitism has “deep roots,” this has been known for a long time. When Islamic radicalism is allowed to flourish — as it has in France — rampant anti-Semitism flourishes.
People in traditional Islamic clothing feel more welcome in France than Jews. (Not to mention, they feel more welcome to harass Jews.)
Something is rotting in the heart of Europe, and it’s not just in France.
Image Credit: By Perguillaume (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons