Another Jewish School Torched in France

Countries Forum

Paris -- Reflecting concern that disaffected Muslim youths are behind anti- Semitic acts in France, President Jacques Chirac on Monday called an emergency high-level meeting to approve measures to stop attacks on Jewish sites.

The meeting, which was attended by Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, approved a package that included tougher policing and prosecution, but also sweeping urban renewal investments to clean up neighborhoods thought to breed Islamic extremism.

"Anti-Semitism is contrary to all the values of France," Chirac told reporters. Noting that Jews had lived in French lands for centuries, he added: "Our Jewish compatriots are at home in France, as is each and every one of our compatriots."

Chirac was moved to speak out by the latest attack on a Jewish site in France. Early on Saturday, a Jewish school building in Gagny, north of Paris, was destroyed in an arson fire. Raffarin said after the meeting that the government would earmark the equivalent of almost $8 billion for urban renewal in mostly tough areas with heavy Muslim populations.

European leaders have been coming under increasing pressure from the government of Israel and other Jewish leaders for what they say is a surge of anti-Semitic feeling in Europe. On Monday, speaking to the Reuters news agency in Brussels, Israel's foreign minister, Silvan Shalom, urged formation of a ministerial conference with the European Union to combat anti-Semitism.

In an editorial Monday, Le Monde acknowledged that the condemnation of Israeli policies by European political leaders "has lowered the borderline, evidently, which was already uncertain for some, between anti-Zionism and anti- Semitism." But it also criticized an "increase, in the world and in France, of an ever more virulent Islamism," which it said "no longer hesitates to make of the 'Jews' the cause of all the earth's evils."

A recent opinion survey of 7,500 Europeans, conducted on behalf of the European Commission in Brussels, ranked Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as the top threat to world peace.

Interesting post, it shows if necessary that anti-jews criminality is considered seriously here. We French citizens can not tolerate any minority to be prosecuted in any way. Jews citizens are first of all French citizens and deserve exactly the same respect and rights than the others. Cursing France because a few islamo-facists carry out such things is irrelevant. This problem concerns everybody on this Earth. We are very careful about such developments.

Jvstr,

You are exactly what Bin Laden is looking for in front of him: full of resentment and hate. The more people like you, the easier he'll get his clash of civilization. If you are not able to make a difference between groups of islamo-fascists brainwashing young people and fomenting trouble, in order to get a climate of hate that fits their agenda, and a country fully conversant with anti-semitism, well, that's your problem in the end. Whatever I would reply, it seems that your posts will keep slanting in this very mirror hateful attitude.
You probably have an uncommon experience of life, that would account for this hate and resentment.

Have U heard of the google scandle? The first site U got sent 2 when U typed in jew was a site called Jew Watch. It was a web site that was completly antisematist. What would U do if U could? Would U destroy the site? Would U take the matter 2 government? Think of the variouse posibilities. Which solution would actually function. The "guidlines": remember, "Freedom of the Press", "Freedom of Speach", and the different effects each of Ur solutions will cause, the reprecusions. The general public is supposedly at the merci of Ur solution and U R bound 2 make at least one group of people mad but U want 2 come up with the solution that best suits almost everyone. Do U think U could send some possible ideas my way?
Sinabunz

French authorities have been attempting to ban all kind of antisemitic or nazi ideas-promoting sites but were replyed by net providers that the technology did not allow it. So freedom of speech seems to be the "default solution" left, apparently.

JY,
So do you think applying intellect and using ones wits to deal with these Islamic terrorists would solve the problem?
I thought you had these Islamic terrorists under control????

Maybe you could talk them into loving the Jews? Have a little diversity training to focus on religious tolerance? Persuade them into getting along with the "infidels?"

Fat chance. These people deserve jail time.

No, I don't think that employing intellect can make terrorists with deeply rooted beliefs change their twisted minds. This is a mental environment which is definitely separated from ours. But teaching, information, care of young people can prevent lots of them to turn down to this disease. We in Europe do not believe mainly on repression to deal with people. Education is of main concern.
Sowhatsthetruth, did not you bother why a state like California has more inmates than France, Germany, Japan, ..., and who knows what other developped countries, combined ? Are the people so ciminal in California, or does it reveal some kind of irrelevance of this management of crime ?

JY,

What can I say? California has more fruits and nuts than the entire EU.

How do I know this? My family lives there and I went to college there.

Honestly, I am not sure why so many insane criminals live in California. They might migrate there for fame and fortune and become disgruntled when they cannot achieve it.
My aunt has been a prison guard at many of the prisons that hold the most dangerous criminals. She said that Charles Manson was like a child and that there were far more dangerous criminals in the back wards chained to the cement floor.
So, I do believe they are being prosecuted. (OJ Simpson and Michael Jackson notwithstanding). There are just so many of them, I think it's hard to keep up with them.

I think all of crime and misbehavior is a spiritual problem. I do know there are alot of wacky cults in California adhering to satanism and witchcraft. Many of these serial killers have been satanists. Richard Ramirez for example. He has that same crazed look in his eyes that Charles Manson had. Charles Manson started his own cult. California is full of this nonsense.

I have already been in California, both for work and on vacation, and what I have seen there was mostly beautiful. Yosemite Park, San Francisco, ..., good restaurants, good wine, good people as well, all what a French like me can expect. For sure, it's a nice place to live in. I have been also in defavorized places there, unintendedly - I got lost in the suburbs of SF - and saw traces of hails of bullets on the walls (I have done my military service and I know it was that) while groups of people were gathering to the corners of the streets and police cars were patrolling slowly all around. It gave a very surreal climate.
Globally, this is this difference between what I have enjoyed there, and my knowledge that a considerable number of people are jailed, some of them waiting in the death row, that is difficult to get for an European like me.
We have less than 60000 persons jailed in France, out of a country of 60 millions people, and yet this number is accounted for because law enforcement has been strenghtened within the past years.
We have a few serial killers here too, but this phenomenum is new. In my opinion, such people are the products of a society getting sicker. As for the anti-semitic acts at the source of this thread. We can not afford such things to keep on without disowning the values of our democracies. I don't necessarily agree with this expression - we are responsible of what happens in the first place - but in Europe such drifts are commented on as the result of an "americanisation" of the society. My intent here is not to point finger at the US but this is what is being said.

JY French,
America is the most violent nation in the world. That is one reason why I wish our government would be more concerned about this than they are about terrorists. Women are terrorized by their husbands, children are abused and raped by their parents. It IS a very SICK society we live in. In a neighboring county there is a judge who has told my friend that he is so very tired of being a judge. The majority of cases he sees involves incest or the rape of children.

You have to understand that this has a huge influence on people. Pedophilia is a HUGE problem and produces very confused and angry adults.

Also, I think that this "freedom" that we are so proud of allows people to feel they have the "freedom" to infringe their will upon others...theft, murder, rape, etc. I do think it is strange that America is so violent. Our movies, video games, all have an influence.