1
Now that France has made legitimizing Israel's destruction a centerpiece of its diplomacy, through a conference endorsing recognition of a Palestinian state, Israel must adopt a zero-tolerance approach, especially in the wake of October 7. This is a clear reward for genocide committed by Hamas from Gaza, with the encouragement of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, which continues to pay salaries to those who murder Jews based on the number of Jews they manage to kill.
From a historical perspective, this is a continuation of a well-known European tradition: using Jews as scapegoats to distract from governmental corruption or internal weakness. Millions of Muslims have overtaken France, and President Emmanuel Macron, helpless, seems to hope that an anti-Israel policy will placate the barbarians and get them to loot, burn, and vandalize fewer stores and institutions in Paris.
2
It isn't working. Antisemitism in France is soaring to unprecedented levels. According to a report by the Anti-Defamation League, there has been a global surge in antisemitic incidents since October 7, with France leading the way with an estimated 185% increase. The Diaspora Affairs Ministry cites a 73% rise compared to last year. Notably, around 20% of French Jews have removed visible signs of Jewish identity from themselves or their homes out of fear of being attacked (why stay there? Come home to Israel). Just this past weekend, we witnessed yet another outbreak of Muslim rioting in Paris that included pogroms against Jews and the desecration of synagogues.
3
Israel must respond forcefully: recall our ambassador from France for consultations in Jerusalem, reprimand the French ambassador, and push for a UN resolution condemning France for violating the human rights of its Jewish citizens. Laws against genocide and in defense of human rights were enacted after the Holocaust to protect Jews. Since their enactment, these laws have been politicized and weaponized against the Jewish state. Israel must act to restore these laws to their original purpose.
Those who encourage barbarism, who believe that after every Jewish death, a prize must be handed out to appease the killers, are fueling the next wave of Jewish bloodshed and the collapse of Western civilization, which is under threat from radical forces. A simple statement to the global media could be the first step: Israel is deeply concerned by the human rights violations against French Jews. Maybe someone should ask Macron's wife to wake him up: the French Republic is in danger, yet the president chooses to target the Jews who are fighting for their survival in their own land. History is repeating itself in Europe, this time as a dangerous farce.
4
Those unsure of their moral ground will absorb the antisemitic policies of the French government "until the wrath passes." (Isaiah 26:20). Jacob feared Esau not only because of the power imbalance, but because he doubted his own righteousness. The poet Nathan Alterman foresaw this trajectory already after the 1967 Six-Day War, writing about Satan's plot against the besieged people of Israel who refuse to lose on the battlefield. So Satan devised a new plan: "Dull his mind / until he forgets he is right."
Among the honors King David bestowed on his warriors, one was given to the head of his special forces unit, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who overcame a mighty Egyptian using the Egyptian's own spear: "He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear." (2 Samuel 23:21). It is time to use their weapons against them.
