A new report shows anti-Semitic incidents doubling in France and notes increasing numbers of Jews relocating inside or outside of France for security reasons.Human Rights First (HRI), a non-profit international human rights organization that issued the report, says the anti-Semitic resurgence in France should be of “great concern” to both the French government and its allies, including the United States.
In the report, “Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Countering Anti-Semitism and Extremism in France,” HRI notes that “left unchecked, anti-Semitism leads to the persecution of other minorities…an increase in anti-Semitism is a harbinger of societal breakdown.”
Jews account for less than 1 percent of the French population but make up more than half of the victims of hate crimes.
The HRI report also documents a doubling of French Jews moving to Israel. More than 7,200 emigrated there in 2014, twice as many as 2013.
CBN News reports that more than 20,000 French Jews moved to Israel in the last five years.
The HRI report says anti-Semitic attitudes come from both the far right and far left political parties in France. It also notes growing concern that Muslim communities are encouraging such attitudes.