The following is via the EJP:
Jewish leaders praised new appointed French Prime Minister Manuel Valls for his determination in the fight against anti-Semitism in France, in particular against anti-Semitic comedian Dieudonné M’bala M’bala.
Valls was appointed Prime Minister by President Francois Hollande amid a government reshuffle following last Sunday’s municipal elections which saw the governing Socialist party loose dozens of cities to the right and the extreme-right parties.
In February, 51-year-old Valls, who was then Interior Minister, banned performances by Dieudonné for incitement against Jews.
The World Jewish Congress (WJC) welcomed Valls’ action, during a meeting of its Executive Body this week in Paris, supporting “entirely legitimate” measures to restrict free speech where it is deemed necessary by the local Jewish community to protect “citizens from the spread of anti-Semitic and racist incitement.”
The meeting was chaired by WJC President Ronald S. Lauder.
During the meeting, the Executive heard a presentation from Vice-President Roger Cukierman, the head of the French Jewish umbrella body CRIF, who expressed grave concern at the recent growth of anti-Semitism in the country, which has the third largest Jewish community in the world and the largest in Europe.
In a resolution, the members of the WJC Executive expressed “great appreciation to President François Hollande and his government for their strong fight against anti-Semitism.”
Last month, Manuel Valls said that anti-Zionism feeds anti-Semitism in a speech at a rally in Paris marking two years since the murder of four Jews, including three children, in a Jewish school in Toulouse.
“It feeds off hate for Israel. It feeds off anti-Zionism. Because anti-Zionism is an invitation to anti-Semitism.”
“Criticism of Israel that is based on anti-Zionism — that’s anti-Semitism today, this is the refuge of those who do not accept the State of Israel,” Valls added.
He once described himself as “linked eternally to Israel.”
He had been invited by the Belgian Jewish umbrella group CCOJB at its annual dinner on Tuesday for his ‘’very courageous statements’’ but the new Prime Minister’s nomination changed the plan.
Valls has been compared both to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair for his style and for being to the right of the Socialist party, and to former President Nicolas Sarkozy for his tough-talking.
He is disliked by those to the left but he does well in opinion polls.
Born in Barcelona, Spain, he was mayor of Evry, a town in the Paris suburbs.
(Source: EJP)
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One Response
Kudos to President Holland who after losing an election to the xenophobic anti – Semites of the Right, doubles down on his opposition to hate by appointing Valls rather than trying to appease. Would that Europe had had more pols like that in the 20th century.