French Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy to Wiesenthal Center: "My Moral Imperative Against Antisemitism"

May 10, 2006

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French Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy to Wiesenthal Center: "My Moral Imperative Against Antisemitism"

Paris

LA LETTRE ORIGINALE EN FRANCAIS EST JOINTE.
Click here to view original letter in French...

To: Dr. Shimon Samuels, Director for International Relations, Simon Wiesenthal Centre – Paris
From:  Nicolas Sarkozy, Minister for the Interior of the French Republic

Paris, 15 March 2006

Mr. Director,

I wish to thank you for your e-mail dated 20 February 2006. I understand your questions, following the particularly dreadful murder of Ilan Halimi, as well as the recent assaults against young Jewish citizens in Sarcelles.

The barbaric act committed against Ilan Halimi frightened my whole country. The French authorities took firm and drastic action so that the murderers and the accomplices of this felony could be imprisoned as soon as possible, awaiting their trial.

The perpetrators of this crime, who behaved like barbarians, had a sordid and loathsome motive, money. But they also believed that "Jews have money" and that, if the kidnapped person did not have the means, someone of his family or his close relations would show solidarity. This has a name: antisemitism.

I insisted on personally receiving the young victims of the antisemitic attacks in Sarcelles. I gave stringent orders that the aggressors be identified and arrested as soon as possible. I also ordered the police to strengthen their presence in Sarcelles.

These barbaric acts remind us, unfortunately, that antisemitism is not defeated, even though we recorded a significant decrease of antisemitic violence in France in 2005.   The figures given by the Direction of the French Police, in collaboration with the Jewish Community, showed a 50% decrease: 98 violent acts registered in 2005, against 200 in 2004; 406 threats in 2005, against 774 in 2004.

You must know that I intend to remain vigilant. There are 4 priorities for my fight against antisemitism in 2006:

- Renew the financial efforts of the State in order to ensure security in Jewish community premises, according to the convention between the State and the FSJU (Unified Jewish Social Fund), three million euros were budgeted for this in 2006.

- Maintain a police presence next to the most dangerous places. Some buildings are being watched by policemen 24 hours a day.

- Facilitate video surveillance next to synagogues and other Community premises.
The law on antiterrorism, which has just been promulgated, gives us new instruments.

- Go on with the fight against antisemitic propaganda. I asked the Direction of the French Police to be more alert toward antisemitic messages on the web. 

Moreover, profound efforts in the educational sector are underway in order to contain antisemitism, and to promote tolerance among youth: organization of a Shoah commemoration day, school class trips to commemorative sites. Schools will take a long-term approach to promoting tolerance. Indeed Shoah education has been a mandatory element of the French school curriculum for many years.

Antisemitic violence is not inevitable. It horrifies me. From where I stand, I will combat it with all my might. This is a moral imperative.

Yours faithfully,

Nicolas Sarkozy