Conflict Divides the French Communities
Marco Cesario 27 January 2009

Paris, France

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is also spreading to France in the form of tension between the Jewish and the Muslim communities. The BNVCA (National Bureau for Vigilance against anti-Semitism), the main Consistory in France and SOS Racisme have condemned the various anti-Semitic attacks carried out since the beginning of Israel’s ground attack and have invited public authorities to respond appropriately. In Paris the windows were broken in an apartment in which a meeting of the faithful wearing kippahs was being held. On January 1st in Bordeaux, two kosher shops were attacked. The most serious event took place in Toulon, where a burning car was driven at top speed against the front entrance of a synagogue. In the meantime, the leaders of the two communities – the president of the CRIF (Representative Council for Jewish Institutions in France) Richard Prasquier and Mohammed Moussaoui from the French Council for the Muslim Faith (CFCM) – would like to reach an understanding so as to prevent the conflict spreading to France. Tension is already running high because the CRIF does not accept the position assumed by the UOIF (Union of Islamic Organisations in France), member of the CFCM, who described the Israeli offensive as “an unprecedented genocide of the Palestinian people.”

The UOIF representative, Fouad Alaoui, has openly stated his annoyance for the unconditional support shown to Israel by the leaders of the French Jewish communities, an attitude, that in his opinion, could lead to amalgamation between the Jewish community and Israel. The UOIF has invited imams in French mosques to devote their sermons to “sensitising the faithful to the Palestinian cause.” In the suburbs tension remains high and the Minster for the Interior Michèle Alliot Marie has summoned the main leaders of the two communities for an emergency meeting. Raphaël Haddad, president of the UEJF (Union of Jewish students in France) has said that it is “terrifying to see people importing the Middle Eastern conflict to France by attacking the Jews.” In spite of quick action by the French government and goodwill shown by Moussaoui and Prasquier, it will be hard to come to an agreement to avoid rapid deterioration of the situation in France.

Meanwhile, in the newspapers the debate is centred mainly on the disproportionate Israeli reaction. Le Monde, in an editorial entitled “The sinking of Gaza,” unequivocally speaks of the Tsahal’s return to Gaza as the total failure of the only policy implemented by the Israeli leaders: unilateralism. The withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, initially saluted as a “brilliant move” by Ariel Sharon – but carried out with no arrangements with the Palestinian Authority – is now seen for what it really is: a not very far-sighted tactical move. Unilateral withdrawal, says the paper, should not have taken place, but rather one prepared in detail with the Palestinian Authority. This would, to a certain extent, explain the “sinking of Gaza.” An overwhelming victory by Israel in the Gaza Strip, concludes the article, would not contribute to strengthening the Palestinian Authority and Hamas will not disappear since it is the product of political ineffectiveness and the Palestinian people’s lack of hope.

A totally different opinion has been expressed by philosopher André Glucksmann, who has assumed a position on this conflict and writes in the newspaper Le Monde. In an extremely controversial editorial entitled “Gaza, an excessive reaction?” Glucksmann criticises those who describe as “disproportionate” Israel’s answer, since for the first time it emphasises that “the fanaticism of those who have decided once and for all and in an unconditional manner who is right and who is wrong, becomes that of a minority”, leaving space to those who instead take care not to “judge if an action is appropriate or not, before having a clearer idea of the situation.”

The conservative newspaper Le Figaro, expressed a different opinion in a leading article entitled “Acting quickly for a ceasefire.” In addition to emphasising the need to find mediators to restore calm and set up new rules for Israelis and Palestinians, it emphasised that Israel’s stated objective is to succeed where it had failed in the summer of 2006. A more achievable objective, seeing that Hamas does not have the same fire power as Hezbollah and cannot rely on support from countries such as Syria. Permanently stopping arms trafficking to Gaza will be one of the conditions established by Israel before agreeing to a ceasefire. According to this newspaper, Egyptian mediation will be essential for negotiating with Hamas since western chancelleries do not negotiate with an organisation listed among terrorist groups both by the European Union and the United States. The newspaper concludes stating that Israel must go the whole way and act quickly to permanently weaken Hamas, uprooting it from the power it gained through force in 2007, before a new front opens in Southern Lebanon.

The weekly Nouvel Observateur in an editorial entitled “The only winners are the Islamic extremists,” denounced the fact that history has taught Israel nothing, and that after losing the war against Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon, the country has now embarked upon another war the results of which are uncertain. The Israeli offensive is primarily about controlling those parts of the city of Gaza from which Qassam missiles are fired on cities in Southern Israel. However, debates the weekly, a Qassam missile only weighs 7kg and can be fired by one man alone and hence the Israeli offensive may be ineffective. The adjective “disproportionate” returns here once again, since according to the Nouvel Observateur the massacre of Gaza is so disproportionate as to encourage Hamas in its “fundamental cynicism,” in its need for martyrs and death. A characteristic emphasised in an emblematic statement by Fatih Hamad, a member of Hamas’ legislative council, “Death has become an industry for the Palestinian people.” According to this weekly, after all Israel has the right to defend itself but will not in this way manage to eradicate terrorism. The only winners in this conflict will instead be Islamic extremists of all kinds.

Also worthy of mention is the editorial in Libération, which after emphasising the “gaffe” made by the Czech Republic (which had described Israel’s ground offensive as a “defensive” operation) emphasises the international community’s importance in this conflict and the fact that by invading the Gaza Strip, Israel is exposing itself to retaliation in Southern Lebanon and urban guerrilla warfare in Gaza. On the other hand, Arab countries must apply pressure on Hamas to stop firing missiles on Southern Israel. The only solution for this crisis, concludes the paper, is to adopt the principle of two states abandoned in 2003.

Translated by Francesca Simmons

www.marcocesario.it

 

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