Free Republic

PARIS — Diplomats from more than 70 countries called Sunday for the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state and urged Israel and Palestinians to restart direct negotiations. In their joint declaration at the conclusion of a Mideast conference here, the envoys urged Israel and the Palestinians to restate their commitment to the goal of two states living side by side in peace and security. The representatives, including Secretary of State John F. Kerry, also warned that continued acts of violence and the building of Jewish settlements in the West Bank needed to stop. The two-page closing statement was meant to...

The District Governor of Ile De France has contacted the State Attorney’s Office on Monday, after the French newspaper Liberation reported that two prominent historical sites turned away a group of students from the Tel Aviv University (TAU) Art History program last month. According to the report, both the Louvre art museum and the Sainte-Chapelle church rejected tour requests from the group on the basis of their nationality. …

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls claimed on Monday that despite the overabundance of Islamist terror, there is no link between terrorist extremism and Islam, as he opened a conference aimed at improving ties with France’s large Muslim community. “We must say all of this is not Islam,” said Valls as quoted by AFP. “The hate speech, anti-Semitism that hides behind anti-Zionism and hate for Israel…the self-proclaimed imams in our neighborhoods and our prisons who are promoting violence and terrorism.” …

Clashes erupted in Paris on Sunday as thousands of people protested against Israel and in support of Hamas and residents in the Gaza Strip, reports The Times of Israel.Several thousand demonstrators marched through the streets of Paris behind a large banner that read "Total Support for the Struggle of the Palestinian People".(snip)Blogger Elder of Zion carries a report that the protests were far more menacing and anti-Semitic than the main news sites have reported. According to a first-person account, protesters also chanted "Death to the Jews," "Hitler was right," "Hamas Resistance," "Jihad! Jihad! Jihad!" and "Palestine must finish the job...

Three men sprayed tear gas on an elderly Jew outside a French synagogue Sunday, the second violent attack on Jews in the country in three days. The attackers of the elderly man left behind an anti-Semitic slogan, according to the London Telegraph. The attackers, still at-large, launched the attack as the man, described as being in his 80s, was waiting outside to attend daily prayer services, Nimes Jewish community leader Paul Benguigui told the newspaper. Nimes is located in southern France.