By Agata Pelezsuk | 27/01/2011
In the latest anti-Semitism report of the Jewish Agency France was singled out as the most dangerous place for Jews in Europe. It is not the first time that French Jewry is warned of a growing anti-Jewish sentiment. Are these warnings serious or unrealistic? Are they aimed to raise awareness or rather encourage French Jews to immigrate to Israel?
For many years French Jewry hear of uncertainty about their future life in France. The largest Jewish community in Europe (more than 0,5 million) were subjected to various kinds of anti-Semitic assaults (verbal or physical), mainly generated by radical groups or individuals within a large Muslim community (estimated from 4 up to 6 million). Larger waves of French Jews immigrating to Israel have been reported since 2001. According to estimates, the immigration rate from France doubled in the 21st century in comparison to the one from 1990's. When asked about their motives to leave France, most people would list anti-Semitism right after ideological (religious and Zionist) premises.
A growth of anti-Semitic attacks (including bomb attacks on synagogues) made in 2004 the then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon make controversial remarks on “the spread of the wildest anti-Semitism” in France. Sharon appealed directly to French Jews, saying that an immigration to Israel is “a must and they have to move immediately”. In spite of a concerning wave of anti-Jewish assaults Sharon's comments were interestingly criticized by some French Jews who claimed that prime minister's warnings were exaggerated. Research reports revealed that nearly 90 percent of Jews are satisfied with their lives in France, with or without anti-Semitism concerns in the picture. On the other hand, public opinion polls conducted in that period showed that 6 percent of French Jews declared they plan to immigrate to Israel – 12 percent of whom where families with school-age children and 28 percent where families whose children attend Jewish schools. In addition, 36 percent of responders did not rule out Aliya in the future.
France as a country with strong traditions praising secularity constitutes a safe environment for a multicultural society. An aversion towards any kind of dominance of religion or elitist ideology enabled various ethnic groups to identify with France as their homeland. In case of the Jewish community, this characteristic naturally clashes with a special bond that Jewish people generally have with Israel – regardless if this bond is based on religiosity, tradition or secular Zionism. Borders between these paradigms are extremely blurry, rather impossible to capture with explicit terms. A difficulty in pigeonholing a Jewish-French identity could be seen in a documentary by Yves Jeuland titled “Being Jewish in France” (2007). Jeuland who took up the challenge of reviewing the modern history of French Jewry failed to grasp the complex nature of the third largest, after Israel and the United States, Jewish community in the world. In many cases it is a problematic dualism of national affiliation – secular French vs. traditional Jewish – which turns the scales in favor of immigration to Israel. “If French Jews want true political representation, there is no other alternative than emigration to Israel. In the Diaspora, at least in France, there is a sharp dichotomy between Jewish affiliation and citizenship. Only in Israel is it possible to be 'Jewish' and democratically represented simultaneously” – commented in one of his interviews Shmuel Trigano, a researcher, journalist and writer, author of a work on modern French Jewry.
From the Israeli point of view, French-Jewish immigration is more than desirable. In the last decade each year around 2.000 immigrants - both families and young people from a large community, mostly bonded with Jewish traditions - are welcomed as new Israeli citizens. New pro-Aliya project of the Jewish Agency, titled Aliya Tapis Rouge (Aliya on a Red Carpet) is advertised as a framework which facilitates French Jews to complete the immigration bureaucracy process within 24 hours. Taking into account the estimates, immigration rates for 2011 will probably keep at a steady level of 2.000. This assumption collated with the latest anti-Semitism report for 2010 results in a less dramatic conclusion that it was presented in the media.
The Jewish Agency's study showed a drop in anti-Semitism in comparison with 2009, a year of Cast Lead Operation which triggered off a dynamic growth of anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli sentiments throughout the world. Due to a large jump of anti-Jewish incidents in 2009 (100 percent growth in comparison to 2008), the fact that it did not grow still means that it is higher than in any other period of the last decade. However, it should be emphasized that in 2010 the Jewish Agency reported a 50-percent drop of anti-Semitic attacks in France. Why then, taking into account a full map of anti-Semitism for last year, the media repeated in chorus that “France is the most dangerous place for Jews in Europe?”. A careful insight into the report should lead to rather more measured conclusions. Indeed, anti-Semitism in France is a fact, so is a desire of French Jews to live within a society which shares their strong ties with Jewish tradition. Nevertheless, nobody should start packing in a rush after reading the screaming media headlines.
