The Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (Crif) prepares its annual dinner.
The organization expects the public authorities to come up with a “new” “targeted” strategy to fight against anti-Semitism.
After being canceled two years in a row, due to the health crisis, this 36th edition will bring together on Thursday, as usual, politicians, ambassadors, religious, trade unionists, artists, media personalities, etc., i.e. a total of around a thousand of people expected at the Carrousel du Louvre, according to the organizers.
No extremes at dinner
It will have the presidential election as a backdrop.
The almost candidate Emmanuel Macron is expected there for a speech, but as head of state.
Other contenders for the Elysée present, but who will not speak: Valérie Pécresse, president of the Ile-de-France region, Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, or even the environmental candidate Yannick Jadot.
Fabien Roussel (PCF) declined due to a meeting.
On the other hand Marine Le Pen (RN), Eric Zemmour (Reconquest), and Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI) were not invited.
“As traditionally since this dinner has existed, the representatives of the extreme parties are not invited”, affirms Francis Kalifat, president of Crif, political showcase of the first Jewish population in Europe (half a million people).
“Extremes are dangerous for France and dangerous for the Jews.
History has shown it to us,” he adds.
"Move to a targeted strategy"
Among the themes that are dear to him and that he intends to recall on Thursday, is the fight against anti-Semitism.
"The strategy, through comprehensive plans to fight different hatreds, is not the right one," he said, referring to the latest three-year plans to fight racism and anti-Semitism put in place in 2012, in 2015 , and 2018.
“We have to move on to a targeted strategy, because each of the hatreds responds to different springs,” he underlines.
"I know it's been a concern of governments" in recent years.
"But it is clear that anti-Semitism is progressing," said Francis Kalifat.
Increase in anti-Semitic acts
He argues that the anti-Semitic acts listed by the Ministry of the Interior from the filings of complaints “increased by 74%”, from 339 in 2020 to 559 in 2021.
On the contrary, they have "decreased by 14%" compared to 2019 (617 acts), underlines the ministry.
Place Beauvau considers that the year 2020 is not representative due to the health crisis.
In 2018, 541 acts were recorded, below the peaks of 2014 (851) and 2004 (974).
But for Francis Kalifat, “if we add the fact that 80% of the victims do not file a complaint” and the hate speech targeting Jews on the internet, “we have the real measure of what anti-Semitism represents in our country”.
"The Covid crisis has freed anti-Semitic speech"
The Crif set up an “observatory of anti-Semitic hatred online” two years ago, which lists around “50,000 to 60,000 hateful content each year” on the Web, he notes.
For his part, Ariel Goldmann, president of the Unified Jewish Social Fund, notes that "means have been deployed", or that the Interministerial Delegation for the Fight against Racism, Anti-Semitism and Anti-LGBT Hate (Dilcrah, which in particular makes numerous reports of hate online), "has worked a lot".
"But we can clearly see that the Covid crisis has freed up anti-Semitic speech, that in the anti-vaccine demonstrations, manifestations of anti-Semitism are reappearing," he said.
"As always in history, crises, even health crises, are an opportunity for rumors and conspiracy", he regrets, expecting the head of state to "commit strongly" on these subjects. .
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