Albert Myara, leader of the South Paris Jewish community said on Monday that antisemitic incidents in France grew four-fold and Jews were under immediate danger in certain areas of France. Speaking to the Knesset Immigration Committee Myara said the situation had been steadily worsening over the past two decades prompting many French Jews to consider moving to Israel but were hesitant because of the difficulties of their absorption into Israeli society the difficulty of finding appropriate housing.
A staggering 68% of French Jews report feeling unsafe since the war in Gaza began. Data presented to the panel revealed that 38% of French Jews, approximately 200,000 people, were considering leaving France. About 60,000 French Jews were ready to move to Israel immediately
"Just last Friday, children at a Chabad camp were harassed by local 10-year-olds, Deborah Elhadeff, a teacher at a Jewish school in France said. "The local kids cursed and pushed the Jewish camp children, calling them 'filthy Jews.'"
Rabbi Moshe Sebbag, rabbi of the Great Synagogue in Paris, also addressed the rise in antisemitism: "Members of the Jewish community prefer to hide their Jewish symbols when in public spaces. The local Jews deeply love French culture and their connection to the country, making the move to Israel very challenging for them."
Left wing voters in France
(Video: Reuters)
Committee chair Oded Forer said the rise of the far-left in France was a very bad sign for the Jews there. "Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the far-left leader, is known for his pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel positions. In the past, he and his associates were accused of antisemitism," Forer said. "Mélenchon, like many in his party, did not condemn the October 7 massacre, claiming Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. At his election rallies, more Palestinian flags were flown than French flags. The amount of hatred and incitement from the left-wing parties toward Jews legitimizes violent actions against Jews."