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| Accueil :| Actualités > A l'Elysée > 2003 > Novembre

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"On behalf of the nation, I solemnly condemn all acts of anti-Semitism, all acts that are not in accordance with the natural demands of the Republic. Indeed, acts of anti-Semitism are attacks on the fundamental rights of each citizen: the right to have one's beliefs respected, the right to have one's convictions respected. When a Jew is attacked in France, it is an attack against the whole of France." (President Chirac, Elysée Palace, November 17, 2003)

1 - The Situation in France

The Jewish community in France is the second largest in the world after the United States, except for Israel.

French Public Opinion

When President Chirac met with leaders of American Jewish organizations in New York on September 22, 2003, he said: "France is not an anti-Semitic country. It [anti-Semitism] has never been in its culture and never will be." President Chirac recalled that he had acknowledged the responsibility of the French state during the Nazi occupation and added that it was important to remember the Resistance and the help that many French people had given to members of the Jewish community.

Recent polls confirm that the French are not anti-Semitic: 80% of young people say they would have no problem living with a Jewish partner. 87% consider anti-Semitic acts disgraceful and believe there should be severe penalties (UEJF poll, 2000). As of April 2003, 85% of the French said they are sympathetic to the Jews, compared with 72% in February 1990 (CSA, Le Figaro, 2003).

Figures on Anti-Semitic Acts in France

The first figures available for 2003 show a marked decrease in the number of anti-Semitic acts (72 anti-Semitic acts from January to August 2003; 172, for the corresponding period in 2002- see attached report). The French authorities are strongly determined to pursue their policy of zero tolerance.

French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy was awarded the 2003 Tolerance Prize of the Simon Wiesenthal Center for his work in combating anti-Semitism in France. "Confronted with anti-Semitism and racism, I know only two words," said Sarkozy: "Zero tolerance." "You don't explain anti-Semitism and racism," he said: "You fight it." President Chirac fully supports zero tolerance.

2 - Steps Taken to Combat anti-Semitism

2.1 A Tougher Law

Parliament beefed up legislation against anti-Semitism, passing a law on February 5, 2002 mandating tougher penalties for racist, anti-Semitic or xenophobic offences. The law, now in force, was adopted unanimously--proof that the people's representatives are united and determined in the face of a phenomenon that will not be tolerated. Whereas prior legislation penalized racist behavior when it was manifestly that, it is now possible to penalize individuals more severely for attacks or insults when the investigation shows that anti-Semitism is the hidden reason for the offence.

2.2 Robust Measures Adopted

- On Monday, November 17, after the arson of a Jewish school set to open in January in Gagny, the President of the Republic presided over a special Cabinet meeting to determine the measures to be taken in order to strengthen the fight against anti-SemitismHe decided to set up an interministerial committee, which will meet monthly under the authority of the Prime Minister, to monitor closely the situation.

- A prevention/protection squad has been set up consisting of 13 units of mobile forces (1,200 CRS-riot police and mobile gendarmes); these units have been deployed specifically to protect synagogues, local associations and schools in consultation with representatives of the Jewish community;

- law-enforcement response to anti-Semitic offences is very strict: public prosecutors have been instructed to ensure that there are no delays in prosecuting offenders. Whenever the perpetrators of anti-Semitic offences have been identified and convicted, the sentences have been harsh (immediate imprisonment, not suspended sentences, including for damage to property).

These firm measures, which reflect the government's determination, have largely contributed to the drop in the number of anti-Semitic offences.

2.3 Lastly, the government has taken the fight against anti-Semitism to schools.

On February 27, 2003, Education Minister Luc Ferry presented a ten-point program of action to deal with the problem of anti-Semitism and racism in schools. It includes special teams in schools to identify and track incidents with the aid of mediators, tougher penalties, and handbooks for teachers. The minister explained, "It's important to intervene at the slightest incident, even if it's verbal, and to let nothing pass without punishment and explanation."

- Help for teaching staff: teams have been set up in schools to monitor for incidents;

- Tougher penalties have been introduced for anti-Semitic or racist comments. Immediately an offence is known, it is reported to the judicial services and youth protection services. School chancellors have been instructed to be absolutely firm in such matters.

- Education in tolerance: a "Holocaust Memorial Day" is now observed in French schools for the remembrance of the Holocaust and the prevention of crimes against humanity. France chose January 27 for this day, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

3 - Tackling Anti-Semitism at the International Level

3-1 To be effective, the fight against anti-Semitism has also to be addressed at the international level. France sent a delegation led by Robert Badinter, a distinguished French jurist and intellectual, to the special meeting of the OSCE on anti-Semitism in Vienna in June 2003 which it fully supported and at which it took an active part. The French parliamentary delegation to the OSCE aligned itself last February, in Vienna, with the letter of intent on anti-Semitism, signed by Congressman Smith, (Republican, New Jersey) and German Parliamentarian Gert Weisskirchen (of the SPD party), to bolster efforts against anti-Semitism in OSCE member states.

3-2 New forms of communication, especially the Internet, are wonderful for promoting human rights but at the same time they can be used for hateful expressions of racism and anti-Semitism in defiance of national or international legislation prohibiting such "speech."

Since the suit against Yahoo in 2000, France has been working actively in several international bodies for a collective debate on anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia on the Internet. The government raised the matter in the G8 bodies. As president of the G8, France proposed a discussion on ways to prevent the Internet from being used for anti-Semitic comments and incitement to racial hatred and violence, and the prosecution of offenders.

France will also host an OSCE meeting on this issue in 2004 and hopes that the United States will play an active role in it. .

France also took a key role in the negotiations in the Council of Europe on the Cybercrime Convention and additional protocol on racism and xenophobia. France made a point of being one of the first signatories of the convention and protocol.