The widow of a rabbi murdered in the West Bank earlier this year on Tuesday warned French lawmakers that money given by Paris to the Palestinian Authority could be used to pay stipends for terrorists.
"France gave the Palestinians Authority €16 million in 2016. Check how your money is spent. Demand it does not pay for murder," French-born Yael Shevah, whose 35-year-old husband Raziel was killed in a drive-by shooting in January 2018, told a Paris conference on Israel.
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Yael Shevah, widow of Rabbi Raziel Shevah, who was murdered in a 2018 terror attack
(Photo: Samaria Regional Council)
The conference, jointly hosted by the Samaria Regional Council and French members of Parliament, discussed ways to counter the increasing delegitimization of Israel and Jews in French society.
"I was born in Paris 33 years ago," Shevah told conference goers. "When I was eight years old, my family moved to Israel which is where I met my beloved husband Raziel. We were married 12 years ago and have six sweet children.
"A beautiful, happy family with no outstanding issues. Eighteen months ago, my husband was murdered while on his way home. His killer told the judge that my husband was chosen for his Jewish appearance."
Shevah said that her way of life was under threat – both from those seeking to delegitimize the Jewish state and those seeking to kill Jews.
"We live under constant threat of terror and BDS," she said, referring to the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement.
"Europe thinks we should not be living where we do, while on the other hand, Islamic terrorism, which has already struck Europe a number of times, is trying to target us. The Palestinian Authority regards these terrorists as heroes and pays them for their murderous acts. It gives them salaries for committing murder."
Shevah said the terrorist who killed her husband received money from the PA and that the French government should pay more attention to the use of its funding.
"My message to you is simple," she said. "Look for the truth. Many countries, including France, support the Palestinian Authority financially. I implore you to find out what your money is used for."
French parliamentarian Claude Goasguen said following her speech: "You told us something the French public is not aware of. The thought that your husband's murderer may be receiving our money is barbaric and unacceptable and we must insist our support is not misused in such a way.
Jewish MP Meyer Habib added: "It makes no sense for the French government to insist Israel release money to the Palestinians, so they can pay these murderers.
"Imagine what would happen if France paid a monthly salary to the perpetrators of the Bataclan attack (part of the 2015 ISIS attack in Paris resulting in 130 dead) or those of the attack against Charlie Hebdo (the 2015 attack on the offices of the satirical magazine, which resulted in 12 dead). It is unbelievable that something so trivial should be argued about."
Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council and host of the conference, told participants that he had come to tell the French public what is really going on, He urged them to push back against the delegitimization and lies spread by what he called left-wing organizations and BDS supporters.
"BDS is a new form of anti-Semitism and must be fought," he said.
First published: 16:15, 05.29.19