I was very surprised to read in an opinion piece by Eldad Beck that appeared in this paper on May 1 that French diplomats have adopted a "hostile and obsessive approach" toward Israel, and that they are afflicted with an "anti-Israel – not to say anti-Semitic mental disorder." Such accusations, published on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day on which we honor the memory of Holocaust victims, among them some 80,000 of France's Jews, are unthinkable. Those who claim France's policies are hostile to Israel and the Jews have forgotten history and reality.
France today is not the France of the Vichy Regime. Rising anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States is very troubling, including in France. The thought that French people were murdered for being Jewish is impossible to bear, and incidents of violence and anti-Semitic hate speech in the streets and on social media must not be tolerated. But can we conclude from this that the French government hates Jews? Certainly not.
Five hundred thousand of France's citizens are members of the Jewish faith, who make up the largest Jewish community in Europe. Every anti-Semitic display is a heavy blow to the freedom of French citizens. The French government is taking action: Holocaust education and the struggle against anti-Semitism are at the top of the agenda in schools; enforcement measures – including arrests, prosecutions and other punitive measures – have been bolstered against perpetrators of anti-Semitic offenses and crimes; Holocaust deniers are behind bars in French prisons. What other country locks people up for this offense? The struggle against anti-Semitism also includes efforts against hate speech on social media networks: A few months ago, for the first time in France's history, the courts ordered access to internet sites with racist and anti-Semitic content blocked and several radical associations were broken up. In addition, law enforcement and hundreds of soldiers secure over 800 Jewish sites.
Can one determine that France teems with hatred for Israel? No. Seven hundred thousand Israeli tourists visit the country every year, which welcomes them with open arms. President Emmanuel Macron has made it clear on several occasions that we will not be forgiving toward those who camouflage their ancient anti-Semitism as opposition to Israel, including those who promote the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. Some advocates of the movement to boycott Israel have even been convicted. Ties between France and Israel are very close, and bilateral cooperation is extensive. In 2018, both countries celebrated the joint "Israel-France Season," a series of hundreds of events attended and viewed by hundreds of thousands of people in both countries. Thanks to agreements signed under the auspices of the EU, Israel enjoys prioritized access to the European market and even participates in European programs in the fields of research and science. We also have close cooperation in the field of security. Israel can always count on France's support in the face of threats and attacks from terrorist organizations, such as those we recently witnessed from the Gaza Strip.
