Posted on 02/24/2006 7:40:27 AM PST by pineconeland
Excerpt; .....[The ceremony, which was held in the Grand Synagogue on rue de la Victoire, was seen by many in the Jewish community as the state leaders' formal declaration that anti-Semitism was to blame for the horrific kidnapping, torture and murder of the 23-year-old Parisian
At 5 P.M., two hours before the ceremony's official opening, police cars surrounded the synagogue area. Police at roadblocks inspected the bag of everyone who entered the area. Hundreds of thousands of people crowded on either side of the street, waiting their turn to enter the synagogue. At the synagogue's entrance police used metal detectors and checked the identity cards and passports of all who pushed in.
The synagogue's 3,000 seats were full, dozens more mourners stood in the aisles and many thousands remained outside and could not get in.
During the chilling ceremony, an 8-year-old read the Psalm "I will raise my eyes to the mountains, whence will come my help?" near a giant picture of Halimi.
Neither Chirac nor his prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, addressed the hour-long synagogue memorial ceremony. But a Jewish leader, Joel Mergui, hailed their presence and that of other politicians as "a strong symbol. "
France's Grand Rabbi Joseph Sitruk described Halimi's death as a watershed, saying: "From now on, in France, there will be the period before Ilan and that after Ilan. "
"Today, I ask all French citizens to all stand up as one man and shout loud and clear, 'Enough is enough,"' he said.
The head of France's biggest Muslim organization, the archbishop of Paris, two ministers, and the leader of the opposition Socialists were among the hundreds in attendance.
"National solidarity is being expressed," the prime minister said after the ceremony.
"We are all Jewish tonight," said town councilor Stephane Jaffrezic.] ...
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
Nice, but I don't have much hope that the French government will confront the thugs in their midst.
Jews there ought to head for Israel or the USA as fast as possible, and not wait!
I agree with you. This sound to me like a huge production for the Goyim in attendance. It will quickly be forgotten as soon as these particular criminals have been extradited. The Ringleaders' attendance accomplished satisfying France’s ostensible purpose to feel that it has effected disapproval, when their unacknowledged goal is to passively revert into their familiar and comfortable anti-Semitism.
"Jews there ought to head for Israel or the USA as fast as possible, and not wait!"
yes!
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