{"id":58,"date":"2014-08-07T09:20:00","date_gmt":"2014-08-07T07:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/?p=58"},"modified":"2021-01-14T21:13:19","modified_gmt":"2021-01-14T20:13:19","slug":"will-france-ban-the-jewish-defense-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/en\/will-france-ban-the-jewish-defense-league\/","title":{"rendered":"Will France Ban The Jewish Defense League ?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><\/p>\n<p><style type=&quot;text\/css&quot;>\n<!--\n \/* Font Definitions *\/\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:Cambria;\n\tpanose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;\n\tmso-font-charset:0;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}\n \/* Style Definitions *\/\np.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\n\t{mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;;\n\tmargin:0cm;\n\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;\n\tmso-fareast-language:EN-US;}\n@page Section1\n\t{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;\n\tmargin:70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt;\n\tmso-header-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-footer-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-paper-source:0;}\ndiv.Section1\n\t{page:Section1;}\n-->\n<\/style>\n<\/p>\n<p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>           <\/p>\n<style type=&quot;text\/css&quot;>\n<!--\n \/* Font Definitions *\/\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:Cambria;\n\tpanose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;\n\tmso-font-charset:0;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}\n \/* Style Definitions *\/\np.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\n\t{mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;;\n\tmargin:0cm;\n\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;\n\tmso-fareast-language:EN-US;}\n@page Section1\n\t{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;\n\tmargin:70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt;\n\tmso-header-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-footer-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-paper-source:0;}\ndiv.Section1\n\t{page:Section1;}\n-->\n<\/style>\n<p>       <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>The French socialist administration cannot afford to lose Muslim support.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot; \/><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><style type=&quot;text\/css&quot;>\n<!--\n \/* Font Definitions *\/\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:Cambria;\n\tpanose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;\n\tmso-font-charset:0;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}\n \/* Style Definitions *\/\np.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\n\t{mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;;\n\tmargin:0cm;\n\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;\n\tmso-fareast-language:EN-US;}\na:link, span.MsoHyperlink\n\t{mso-style-noshow:yes;\n\tcolor:blue;\n\ttext-decoration:underline;\n\ttext-underline:single;}\na:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed\n\t{mso-style-noshow:yes;\n\tcolor:purple;\n\ttext-decoration:underline;\n\ttext-underline:single;}\n@page Section1\n\t{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;\n\tmargin:70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt;\n\tmso-header-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-footer-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-paper-source:0;}\ndiv.Section1\n\t{page:Section1;}\n-->\n<\/style>\n<\/p>\n<p><style type=&quot;text\/css&quot;>\n<!--\n \/* Font Definitions *\/\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:Cambria;\n\tpanose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;\n\tmso-font-charset:0;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}\n \/* Style Definitions *\/\np.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\n\t{mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;;\n\tmargin:0cm;\n\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;\n\tmso-fareast-language:EN-US;}\na:link, span.MsoHyperlink\n\t{mso-style-noshow:yes;\n\tcolor:blue;\n\ttext-decoration:underline;\n\ttext-underline:single;}\na:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed\n\t{mso-style-noshow:yes;\n\tcolor:purple;\n\ttext-decoration:underline;\n\ttext-underline:single;}\n@page Section1\n\t{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;\n\tmargin:70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt;\n\tmso-header-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-footer-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-paper-source:0;}\ndiv.Section1\n\t{page:Section1;}\n-->\n<\/style>\n<\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;I am not aware that one single Jew on one single instance attacked one single mosque or Muslim place in France&nbsp;&raquo;, <\/span><\/em><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>Joel Mergui, the chairman of Consistoire (the National Union of French synagogues), remarked on i-Tele, a French TV channel, on July 31<em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal&quot;>.<\/em> On the same day, <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:normal&quot;>Liberation<\/em>, a leftwing newspaper, was emphatically asking on its frontpage whether Ligue de D&eacute;fense juive (LDJ), a group linked to the American and Israeli Jewish Defense League (JDL) should not be banned. Other liberal or leftwing media had been taking the same stand for days. According to them, the French Interior ministry <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:normal&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;was about&nbsp;&raquo;<\/em> to issue such a ban.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;People who behave against the law must be prosecuted, as long as conclusive evidence is gathered &raquo;,<\/span><\/em><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;> Mergui elaborated. <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:normal&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;However, one may wonder why only LDJ, a very small and peripheric Jewish selfdefence group, should be targeted&nbsp;? Why not ban on the first place the organizers and sponsors of antisemitic demonstrations and those dozens of mosques which incite to anti-Jewish hatred and violence&nbsp;?&nbsp;It the Jews that are under attack in France, not the opposite &raquo;.<span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes&quot;>&nbsp; <\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>On July 13, LDJ played an important role in the protection of the Don Isaac Abravanel synagogue on Roquette Street in Central Paris, when it was attacked by Muslim mobsters. It was soon rumored, however, that LDJ members had actually <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:normal&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;provoked&nbsp;&raquo;<\/em> Muslim activists on social networks. Videotapes pointing to alleged LDJ&rsquo;s <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:normal&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;violence&nbsp;&raquo;<\/em> were posted. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>Even as pro-Hamas and anti-Jewish violence soared in the ensuing days, culminating on July 20 in large scale pogrom-like violence in Sarcelles, a Northern suburb in Greater Paris, and no further incriminating evidence against LDJ was found, both senior officials at the Interior ministry and the liberal or leftwing media insisted that the Jewish organization should be <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;dissolved&nbsp;&raquo;.<\/em> Pictures of individual LDJ members were circulated on social networks. On one occasion, an assistant to Justice minister Christiane Taubira privately retweeted them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>Many observers think that people in the socialist Fran&ccedil;ois Hollande administration or in the police upper echelon are interested in saying there was extremism on both sides, among <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:normal&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;rogue Jews&nbsp;&raquo;<\/em> as well as among Muslims. <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:normal&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;It is the Hollande administration&rsquo;s major conundrum&nbsp;&raquo;<\/em>, one pollster explained to <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:normal&quot;>The Jewish Chronicle<\/em>. <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:normal&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;President Hollande and premier Manuel Valls have expessed pro-Jewish and even pro-Israel views. But 86 % of the French Muslims voted for them in 2012 and were instrumental in their comparatively narrow victory &ndash; less than 2 % &#8211; over Nicolas Sarkozy. They have to retain the Muslim vote in order to survive politically&nbsp;&raquo;. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>The fuss about LDJ seems to be part of a larger scheme to win back Muslim support. Another move was to have thirty three socialists members of the National Assembly and the European Parliament sponsor an authorized pro-Hamas demonstration, on July 23. Two days later, <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:normal&quot;>Le Monde<\/em>, the distinguished leftwing newspaper, wrote flatteringly about the <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:normal&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;#Gaza Generation&nbsp;&raquo;.<\/em> Moreover, very few anti-Jewish mobsters were held by the police&nbsp;; and those who were have been more often than not released for <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;lack of evidence&nbsp;&raquo;.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>Simon Cohen, the LDJ&rsquo;s spokesman, is confident that his organization <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:normal&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;enjoys an unprecedented level of support among the Jewish community&nbsp;&raquo;<\/em>. LDJ is said to count by now some five hundred members or sympathizers in the Greater Paris area. Smaller groups are burgeoning in Toulouse, Marseille, Nice, Lyons. All in all, about one thousand French Jewish youths may be involved. The LDJ&rsquo;s website (<\/span><a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.liguededefensejuive.com&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>www.liguededefensejuive.com<\/span><\/a><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>) &#8211; which is well informed and completely free of racist rethorics<span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes&quot;>&nbsp; <\/span>&#8211; claims 75 000 visitors a day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>LDJ is not the only Jewish self-defence organization in France&nbsp;: there is also SPCJ (the Jewish Community Protection Service) which contribute to daily security at synagogues and other facilities. <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;We are political&nbsp;&raquo;,<\/em> Cohen says, <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;they are not. However we work closely together. There is no other option.&nbsp;&raquo;<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight:\nnormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&copy; Michel Gurfinkiel &amp; The Jewish Chronicle, 2014<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n<style type=&quot;text\/css&quot;>\n<\/style>\n<p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot;>\n<style type=&quot;text\/css&quot;>\n<\/style>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;>The French socialist administration cannot afford to lose Muslim support.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/en\/will-france-ban-the-jewish-defense-league\/\">&nbsp;&raquo;&nbsp;Read more about: Will France Ban The Jewish Defense League ? &nbsp;&raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[655],"tags":[651],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1507,"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58\/revisions\/1507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}