Sharon urges French Jews to leave their country

Hmm - and this one was obviously to early to get responses.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon welcomed some 200 French Jews to Israel yesterday, barely two weeks after calling on French Jewry to leave their homes because of rampant anti-Semitism.
Sharon's comments in a July 18 speech to American Jewish leaders in Jerusalem acknowledged French government efforts to stem anti-Semitism. However, his remarks caused outrage in France as they implied that the country was anti-Semitic, that the French government could not protect Jews, and that France could no longer be home to Jews because "10 percent of France is Muslim."

Sharon appeared to try to correct the damage from his earlier statements at yesterday's welcoming ceremony at Ben-Gurion International Airport. He said anti-Semitism threatens the Western world, without singling out France. "We therefore very much appreciate the determined actions of the French government, as well as the French president's stand against anti-Semitism. We hope that his determination will serve as an example to other countries, as well."

Softening his appeal to French Jews based on anti-Semitism, Sharon said, "Jews must come to Israel not because of hatred or fear. Jews must immigrate because it is their homeland."

Because of the controversy two weeks ago, the press at the airport yesterday nearly outnumbered the 200 new immigrants. The newcomers told reporters that, while anti-Semitism is evident in France, neither anti-Semitism per se, nor the prime minister's remarks, were what prompted them to make the move.

"My youngest daughter Alexia did not have a single Jewish friend," said Claude Journo, who until yesterday was a resident of the 20th arrondissement in Paris. "It might not be nice to say, but all her friends were from Morocco, Tunis, even China." She said she decided to come to Israel for her daughter's sake, after her three other daughters already moved here. "Only in Israel can they really feel at ease with their Judaism," she said.

Everyone wants to know if the Jews leaving France are doing so because of anti-Semitism, said Menachem Gur-Arie, the top Jewish Agency official in France. "But as far as we can tell from what they tell us, they are moving to Israel for other reasons."

In most cases, it is either ideology or concern for their children, said Daniel Haik, a journalist working for Jewish media in France. "The Jews of the suburbs where there are no Muslims don't feel anti-Semitism. The real problem is the quality of schools. The demand for Jewish schools outstrips supply."

The wave of attacks on Jews in recent months has not resulted in a wave of immigration to Israel. About 1,500-2,500 a year do leave France for Israel, though this year the Jewish Agency hopes to bring as many as 3,000.

Dr. Arik Cohen of the Bar Ilan School of Education has been conducting a study of French Jewry's attitudes toward anti-Semitism and Israel, surveying more than 100,000 French Jews. Some 20 percent said they or a member of their household had felt some harm due to anti-Semitism. "Relatively speaking, that's a lot," says Cohen, "but it is simply not true that the situation is serious and there is a panic." Nonetheless, he says there is a process underway and over the long run there will be an increase in the number of French Jews immigrating to Israel. He says there is a potential of 60,000 immigrants - about 10 percent of the community - "but it won't happen overnight."