“The government is fully mobilized to fight against all forms of anti-Semitic hatred and ensure the safety of Jews in France,” French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told a meeting with representatives of the Jewish community aimed at discussing ways to fight anti-Semitism.
The meeting brought together Francis Kalifat, president of Crif, the umbrella representative group of French Jewish institutions; Joel Mergui, president of the Israelite Consistory; Chief Rabbi of France Haim Korsia; and Ariel Goldmann, president of the United Jewish Social Fund.
Besides the Interior Minister, Minister of Justice Nicole Belloubet, Secretary of State for the fight against discrimination Marlène Schiappa and Secretary of State Laurent Nunez also attended the meeting.
The meeting took place days after a statement by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, in which he said he was alarmed by the increase in anti-Semitic acts in France.
Francis Kalifat asked that each hate be treated according to its own characteristics, without hierarchy of its importance to another.
He asked the Justice Minister General Nicole Belloubet to publish the convictions for anti-Semitic acts in order to complete the figures concerning the anti-Semitic reported threats.
Kalifat also called to identify and label anti-Zionism, the delegitimization of the State of Israel and the BDS movement to be identified as sources of anti-Semitism. In France, the High Court of Justice has ruled that calls for a boycott of Israeli products are illegal, and amount to discrimination and incitement to hatred.
All representatives of the Jewish community have also expressed a desire for a visible presence of security forces in front of Jewish places of worship and schools to ensure the safety of the Jewish community.
