By
Herb Brandon
Israel News Agency
Jerusalem,
Israel --- September 9, 2008 ..... The Anti-Defamation League
(ADL) in New York has blasted the France government for the
recent racial attack on three Jewish teens by a group of Muslims
in Paris on Saturday.
The
Jewish teens, ages 17 and 18, who have been identified as Dan
Nebet, Kevin Bitan and David Boaziz, are leaders of the Bnei
Akiva youth group in Paris' 19th District.
"In
light of this incident, the previous attack and the approaching
Jewish High Holidays, it is especially important for the government
of France to ensure that the Jewish community is safe from harm,"
said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL
National Director. "We have every confidence that the government
and the law enforcement community are taking the assault seriously
and will ensure that the community feels secure during the High
Holy Days and every day."
The
Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading
organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services
that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.
"One
must remember that these attacks also represent a real threat
to the stability of the French government, whose people
and police have also been repeatedly attacked. But in Jerusalem
we are only concerned with the welfare of both Jews in Israel
and abroad. If the French government cannot protect Jewish
life, the State of Israel will." |
The
Jewish teenagers were hospitalized with serious injuries. One
suffered a broken nose and jaw and all three victims sustained
bruises. The Jewish victims were advised to report the anti-Semitic
to police. Police opened an investigation and are now searching
for the Muslim teenagers responsible for the attacks.
The
chairman of the Jewish Students Union in France, Raphael Haddad
said that the Muslims attacked the Jewish students with stones.
Haddad also said the incident occurred on Petit Street in the
19th District, not far from where a 17-year-old Jewish youth
was attacked and seriously injured by immigrants on June 21.
The
attack is one of a long series of racial attacks in Europe in
general and in France in particular. France has Western Europe's
largest population of both Jews and Muslims.
France
faced a surge in anti-Semitic crime starting in 2000 after tensions
between Israelis and Palestinians flared up in the Middle East.
Two
years ago Islamic arsonists set fire to a Jewish school north
of Paris that had been badly damaged in another arson attack
in 2003.
French
President Nicolas Sarkozy condemned the violence as the Jewish
Agency's envoy in Paris, Rafi Zaush, told Israel Defense Forces
Radio that attacks in the 19th District are common but most
incidents are less violent and therefore not reported by the
media.
Dan's
father, told the Israel newspaper Haaretz that his son
said, as they were walking down the street, "Four or five
Arabs of African origin started to throw walnuts at Kevin. When
he went up to them to ask them why they did it, they surrounded
him and knocked him down. Kevin and David moved in and very
quickly more Arabs joined in and started to beat the three with
their fists and with chains."
A
large number of Jews live in the 19th District of Paris, France.
"The
atmosphere here is difficult. Now I need to protect our sons
so they will not talk a great deal, because that is what we
were told by the community's security people. This time it was
my son; it can be anyone. The Jews want to live in peace but
it's impossible with the Arabs here. We go around with a skullcap
and that bothers them, but we don't care. If we have to take
off our skullcaps to live better, it's better to leave now."
It
was the second anti-Jewish attack to take place in the 19th
District in three months and was quickly denounced by government
officials, with Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie and Paris
Mayor Bertrand Delanoe" calling for increased security
and the immediate arrests of the Muslim attackers.
On
June 23, Rudy Haddad, 17, was severely beaten by a group of
Arabs holding iron bars in the 19th District several blocks
from the site of the most recent assault.
Governmental
sources in Jerusalem, commenting on the attack in Paris, said
there are concrete solutions for these kinds of racial attacks.
"There
was a reason for the establishment of Israel," said a spokesperson
who requested to remain anonymous.
"It
was to provide a safe haven for the survivors of the Holocaust
and to make certain that all Jews, everywhere were would have
a means of defense. It has been rumored that members of elite
Israel Defense Forces
units including Givati, Handasa, Golani, Paratroops and Border
Police have taken "vacations" abroad and have created
ambushes for racial attacks such as what occurred in Paris.
We are not talking about or suggesting the creation of vigilante
squads from the days of the Jewish Defense League, but rather
elite Israel combat soldiers in plain clothes working with the
Mossad
and other Israel intelligence services to put an end to these
attacks. One must remember that these attacks also represent
a real threat to the stability of the French government, whose
people and police have also been repeatedly attacked. But in
Jerusalem we are only concerned with the welfare of both Jews
in Israel and abroad. If the French government cannot protect
Jewish life, the State of Israel will."
The
above news content was edited and SEO optimized in Israel for
the Internet by the Leyden Communications Group.
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