Posted on 05/11/2002 3:53:32 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Sunday, May 12, 2002 Sivan 1, 5762 Israel Time: 01:49 (GMT+3)
Last update - 01:43 12/05/2002
French president accuses Israel of conducting anti-France campaign
By The Associated Press
PARIS - French President Jacques Chirac raised the possibility on Saturday of "consequences" if Israel did not put a halt to a campaign presenting France as an anti-Semitic country, the president's spokeswoman said.
In a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Chirac spoke out "with force against the campaign," spokeswoman Catherine Colonna said. "At a time when the French massively demonstrated their refusal of racism, of xenophobia and of anti-Semitism, this campaign is not acceptable," Chirac was quoted as saying.
He added that it cannot continue "without consequences," Colonna said. She did not elaborate on what the consequences could entail.
Chirac was reelected last Sunday to a second term following a landslide victory over extreme-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen who has been convicted of both racism and anti-Semitism.
However, Israel's concern about events in France predates the election, rooted in a barrage of attacks this spring on synagogues and other Jewish sites. The attacks coincided with rising tensions in the crisis between Israel and the Palestinians. On April 2, France's ambassador to Israel was called to the Foreign Ministry to hear Israel's concerns about the spate of attacks.
The head of the ministry's European desk, Victor Harel, expressed Israel's concern over the attacks. The French ambassador, Jacques Huntzinger, advised that police had been sent in to reinforce security around Jewish sites.
Not helping matters is Israel's view of France as pro-Arab and partial to the Palestinians.
Israel is increasingly sensitive over signs of a rise in anti-Semitism in Europe and wants to form an international commission to monitor any signs of it. French Charge d'Affaires in Israel Michel Miraillet took a lot of "tough comments" at a meeting he attended earlier this month with Israeli officials and representatives of Israeli organizations, according to Israel's deputy foreign minister, Michael Melchior.
The presidential spokeswoman said Chirac's comments were made in a telephone call from Sharon to Chirac to discuss the Middle East crisis. Sharon said he was favorable to participation by the European Union in an international conference to unblock the stalemate.
It almost worked for the Menendez brothers, maybe it'll almost work for Chirac.
Probably worth taking a moment to think what the Jews of France are feeling, many French citizens for generations, many, or their, families survivors of last centuries "population thinning" in France.
And this is the best their "President" can come up with for his citizens, it's an anti-France campaign.
According to the Association of French Jewish Students (UEJF), there has been 300 antisemitic acts since september 2000: most of them are antisemitic graffitis and acts of vandalism. 30 are attacks. This is appalling, but this is no reason to exaggerate in such ridiculous proportions. Unless you have a very peculiar agenda.
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