A study released by the French service for the protection of the Jewish community (SPCJ) together with the French Interior Ministry reported a 16.5% drop in anti-Semitism in France for the year 2011. There are between 483,000 and 500,000 Jews in France making French Jews the world's third largest Jewish community.
Since its creation in 1980, the SPCJ has listed statistics on various anti-Semitic acts committed on French soil in order to inform community leaders about threat and danger evolution. The SPCJ shares this information with public authorities through regular contacts with the Ministry of Interior.
The study, released late January 2012, and is now in its sixth year running, recorded 389 incidents of anti-Semitism in 2011, compared to 466 in 2010, making it the lowest number in ten years. For the report in French, press here.
However, the number of violent anti-Semitic incidents remained the same as those recorded in 2010, and there was even a rise in the severity of the violence.
The main source of the drop in recorded anti-Semitic incidents was owing to the decline in malicious graffiti and slanderous letters. The number of recorded attacks stood at 127, which mainly included damage to property, vandalism and direct violent attacks. The report also recorded 144 cases of malicious threats, threatening actions and curses, and 46 anti-Semitic publications. About 50% of the total number of anti-Semitic incidents occurred in greater Paris.
In an interview on February 10, 2012 by L’Express, Ariel Goldmann, vice president of CRIF and SPCJ spokesman, said that they are not able to give a profile of the typical attacker. Youssouf Fofana, convicted of the murder of Ilan Halimi , was running a gang called "the Gang of Barbarians" whose members were from all backgrounds. Ilan Halimi (see picture above) was a young French Jewish man of Moroccan parentage kidnapped on 21 January 2006 and subsequently tortured, over a period of three weeks, resulting in his death. Youssouf Fofana was born 1980 in Paris to immigrants from Ivory Coast.
Of course, neo-Nazis or the extreme right are sometimes involved in attacks on cemeteries but there is no composite sketch. However, victims often live in difficult areas or neighborhoods [meaning mixed Jewish-Muslim neighborhoods].
The study uses a quite strict definition to establish that the motive of the crime was anti-Semitic in origin. The data are based on all calls to the hotline Protection Service of the Jewish Community (SPCJ) that have subsequently given rise to a complaint with the police. We select only clear anti-Semitic acts . The uttered insults, or elements, such as inscriptions, must directly attack the Jewish religion. For example, if a man leaving a synagogue is attacked, or if there are inscriptions on the scene, there is no doubt about the nature of the attack.
Christophe Bigot, the French ambassador to Israel, said in a press conference on Feb. 20, 2012 that the French government has been waging a merciless campaign against anti-Semitism for the last few years. In 2003, France passed a law that imposes harsh penalties on people who commit racist or anti-Semitic attacks and in 2004 approved a plan to upgrade security for Jewish religious and cultural institutions. Thorough work is also being conducted in France's education industry, with an emphasis on Holocaust awareness, in cooperation with the Holocaust museum in Paris.
“I think it has always been safe for the Jewish community in France,” Bigot said. He noted the displeasure many authorities in France felt after Ariel Sharon in 2004 urged French Jews to immigrate to Israel for their safety.
“We were very upset when some Israelis were promoting aliya [from France] for security reasons; we thought this was unfair and completely inaccurate. We respect aliya, but we think it should be based on values, religion, family, a desire to be a part of the project of Israel, and not out of fear.”
“The awareness of the importance of fighting this [anti-Semitism] in the whole French society both in the opposition and the majority is very broad,” he said, adding that all of the main parties in France are “absolutely united to fight this phenomenon.”
Bigot said he does not know how many of the anti-Semitic acts were committed by Muslim immigrants, as in France they don’t differentiate between people based on their religious status.
The ambassador credited increased police work and education programs meant to counter anti-Semitism for the drop shown in the report, but clarified that there is still work to be done. “Even one anti-Semitic act is one act too many,” he said.
The report on anti-Semitism was published by The Jewish Community Protection Service (Service de Protection de la Communauté Juive), which was created in 1980, in the wake of the terrorist bombing of a synagogue in rue Copernic in Paris.
The SPCJ works in complete cooperation with public authorities (Ministry of Interior, Police Headquarters), to ensure that services in synagogues are protected during Sabbath days and during major Jewish holy days. The SPCJ also intervenes at the request of various associations, in order to ensure protection for large community events.
The SPCJ also inspects buildings and gives advice regarding security systems (schools, synagogues, etc.). Where ministerial subsidies are not available, the SPCJ can grant subsidies to associations for the financing of security improvements already decided on.
Finally, the SPCJ has operated for three years a department dealing with Schools, which is responsible for counseling school administrators, teachers, and parent associations with regard to security. This department can also handle recruitment and training of professional security agents to serve protecting schools and community buildings.
Since 2009, the SPCJ has implemented an awareness program for young people (8-15 years of age) about the dangers to which they may be exposed and how to protect themselves.
Responding to an increase in the number of anti-Semitic acts in 2001, the SPCJ opened a Victim Assistance Department “VAD”. A free phone number can be called 24 hours a day in order to alert the organization of any anti-Semitic act, or to call for help if there is an immediate danger. Victims can call this number to receive assistance and advice regarding different avenues of legal redress. Victims can also be referred to psychological or social counseling services if necessary.
Further Reading:
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe publishes 2010 report on hate crimes
