Jews Rethink Vacations to France

I wouldn't go to France before all this started-being Jewish has nothing to do with it-I'm sure I could find people who would have an unreasonable hatred for me anywhere.It's that the French seem to look down their noses at everyone else.The three least arrogant groups of people I've met in Europe are Italians ,Dutch(including Belgian Flemish)and Portugese.

Better to spend your hard earned vacation dollars in the USA

I'll probably do that next winter. Plan to rent a plane in FL, then do some exploring in Louisiana and maybe Texas.

Send food, we'll give you the house. 250 years of oatmeal is enough!

In fact, unless I am mistaken, France's assistance was instrumental in the acquisition of Israel of nuclear bombs, without which there would be no guarantee the Mehomitans would not drive them into the sea.

Between 1948 and 1967, France was one of the major supporters of Israel. Recall that France and the United Kingdom were allied with Israel during the Suez Crisis of 1956, while the US sided with the USSR and Egypt. FYI.

True, but De Gaulle did a 180 in 1967 switching French sympathies to the Arabs. France has been consistently and outspokenly hostile to Israel ever since.

Don't get me started on De Gaulle. He also turned on Canada in the 60s, after we rescued his country twice in as many generations.

So, tell us about what you've read exactly on France in your unbiased sources of information. Apparently, you've been in France once, 15 years ago, but you seem to have a strong, unmoderated opinion on it, don't you?

Fact #1: there has been antisemitic acts in France perpetuated by muslim teenagers. The socialist governement, which has been consistently lousy on crime issues, has been slow to realize (and consequently, to admit) that this violence was not just part of rising crime in general, but that there was a real specific agressivity targetted at the Jews. One reason for this is that, when the French hear the word "antisemitism", they tend to look at the reactionnary right, while here the problem came from the muslim community, mostly leftist (for those who are involved in politics). Hence the first state of denial from the French governement: since there was no problem from the reactionnary right, how could there be an antisemitism problem? Since then, the police has been sent in large numbers to protect the Jewish community, with good results. I don't see how this could justify the fact that France is now globally accused of antisemitism.

Fact #2: The accusations of antisemitism against France have first been launched by Sharon himself (who does not live in France...) and by his interior minister when the French governement became critical of his policies. This has been, by the way, a consistent part of Sharon's strategy: any foreigner who his critical of his policies is accused of antisemitism... These accusations were relayed by a prominent spokesperson of the French Jewish community, Daniel Cuckiermann, who happens to be Sharon's lapdog: he has a "Saron's quote of the day" on his website. Cuckiermann became the main provider of informations for American journalists. Problem is, Cuckiermann is not only Sharon's unofficial spokesperon in France, he is also an hysterical who compared the situation with the Kristallnacht (drawing harsch criticism from the French Jewish community itself) and later said that thanks to Le Pen's strong showing, "the muslims would keep quiet now" (drawing even harscher criticism from the Jewish community itself, again). Excuse-me, but I really don't think that these "sources of information" are unbiased, do you?

Fact #3: A French ambassador in te UK made an highly inappropriate remark. One unique remark, made by one unique individual, in a private party, in an unknown context. Apparently, sufficient to trigger hysteria among francophobes, persuaded that old-style antisemitism was back on the whole French nation.

Fact #4: the campaign of the American press on France's antisemitism, later relayed by francophobic sketches in the SNL and others, started, based on the sole elements mentioned above, and especially on Cuckiermann's "informations".

Fact #5: The union of French Jewish students published a detailed study of antisemitism in France in majour French newpapers. Conclusions: there has not been a surge of antisemitic acts between 2001 and 2000, antisemitism in France is at a very low level, the integration of jews in France is exemplary. Of course, American journalists were not there to listen, or probably considered that these kind of information would not sell enough paper...

Fact #6: There are regularly major members of the French government which are jew, including prime ministers, and neither the French people nor the media even notice. This is what real integration is about. Compare this situation with all the comments generated by Liebermann's candidature to vice-presidency in the US.

This being said, France is having a real problem with its huge unintegrated muslim community, and the hatred of these people is targetted at jews first. Because of this, the fear felt by jews in France is perfectly understandable and justified. What is not justified are the accusations according to which France would be globally antisemitic, as well as the complacency and the lack of seriousness and honesty of the American press.