A figure unimaginable a few years ago. Since the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, anti-Semitic acts have jumped by 1,000% in France, according to the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (Crif). According to its president, Yonathan Arfi, 25% of the acts were “apology for Hamas”, 33% for jihadism and 25% were “calls for murder”. Aurore Bergé, Minister Delegate for Equality between Women and Men, herself suffered a death threat a week ago, against her four-month-old baby and against her.
Clearly define anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism
In this tense climate, she wants to organize meetings to fight against anti-Semitism. These will take place on Monday May 6, she announced this Sunday during the Grand Rendez-vous Europe1/CNews/Les Échos. “We have been very clear both on the question of vigilance, the strengthening of public policies, obviously protection of all of our fellow citizens, places of worship and Jewish schools which could be targeted. more than in the past, that has been the case. But I believe that we have a necessity which is that everyone commits and that everyone commits very clearly to what the definition of anti-Semitism is,” explains she spoke into Sonia Mabrouk’s microphone.
The minister refers in particular to the vagueness surrounding the notion of anti-Zionism: “anti-Zionism is wanting the destruction of the State of Israel. It is refusing the self-determination of the Jews, it is refusing that a democratic state can exist. This is not criticizing the policy of the Israeli government. We have the right to criticize and denounce this policy. These are two different things. Our Jewish compatriots are not responsible for the policy that would be pursued by the Israeli government,” she adds.
Insoumise France must “clarify their position”
Aurore Bergé therefore invites all the associations concerned and all the political parties “which have a group in the National Assembly and the Senate” to go to these meetings, in particular La France insoumise, a party which has been ambiguous on the questions surrounding the October 7 attack.
“Let them come and clarify their position,” asks the minister. “I hope that each political party, obviously, will come because it will be in the presence of all the associations which fight against hatred. What I especially want in these meetings is that at one point, we consider that it is the problem of the whole of French society, and not just the problem of the Jews,” she explains.