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Last update - 00:00 16/05/2007
Forgive us our racism
By Goel Pinto
Tags: Jerusalem, Terrorism, Crime 

The murder of Taysir Karaki of Beit Hanina, 35 and the father of five, was carried out by a single individual, but the soil on which the Jewish-French terrorist Julian Soufir thrived nevertheless bears collective examination.

More than a few French Jews explained during the recent presidential election campaign that they were for Nicolas Sarkozy because of the iron fist he employed against first-generation Muslim immigrants in the Paris suburb riots of 2005. His unequivocal support for the Jewish community after Ilan Halimi's murder in 2006 and the fact he ascribed anti-Semitic motives to it also helped Sarkozy to win over many French Jews. Remarks along the lines of "the Arabs are taking over France" and "we need a real man to put things right here" were voiced by more than a few Jews during the campaign.

There are 600,000 Jews living in France today. Unlike the children of the Muslim immigrants, many French Jews have obtained senior positions and garnered the respect and protection of the government. In a state that champions the obliteration of religious identity in favor of a universal identity as members of the republic, the Jews have played both sides of the field. On the one hand, they integrated into French society, while on the other they continued to demonstrate great loyalty to Israel and in particular to the right-wing governments that have ruled it in recent decades.
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The militancy of many French Jews and the racism that some of them display against Muslims are not new phenomena. I can recall one Shabbat morning in a Paris synagogue. I was 12. It was during the 1982 Lebanon war, and the rabbi recited the prayer for the State of Israel and its soldiers. The congregation responded with interjections such as "Sharon, you show them" and "Kill them." The rabbi made no effort to silence them. Even then it was clear that this community, which for years had donated generously to Israel, was using the state as a tool of revenge.

No French Jew would dare to hurt a Muslim in France. The Jewish murderer Soufir immigrated to Israel before he murdered an Arab - and not because of any shortage of Muslims in France. Rather, it was because in France many Jews prefer to wrap themselves in the tallit of victimhood - and the anti-Jewish incidents there give them sufficient ammunition to do so. The image of the victim causes the government, mainly because of its own feelings of guilt over the Vichy period, to give them broad support.

The time has come for the State of Israel to place a mirror before France's Jews, who are dancing at two weddings at the same time. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Acting President Dalia Itzik should pay a visit to the family of the murder victim and ask for forgiveness in the name of the state and the Jewish people, just as Jordan's King Hussein did after the murder of the seven girls from Beit Shemesh in the Naharayim terror attack in 1997, just as the French president and his wife, Jacques and Bernadette Chirac, and Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin did following Halimi's murder when they attended his memorial service at a Paris synagogue.

This is also the appropriate time for the heads of France's Jewish community, led by Chief Rabbi Yosef Sitruk, to visit the Great Mosque of Paris and to ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness for the murder, but also for the anti-Muslim racism that is rooted in their community, which is one of the main causes for the deterioration in relations between Jews and Muslims in France.
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  1.   Israel and the US started this hate 11:26  |  Marilyn 16/05/07
  2.   a very refreshing article to read... 11:27  |  eric 16/05/07
  3.   in France only? 11:28  |  samos 16/05/07
  4.   Not only in France 11:30  |  Edith 16/05/07
  5.   Who`s more racist? The author or the murderer? 11:40  |  Ernst 16/05/07
  6.   By the way... 11:43  |  Matthias Roth 16/05/07
  7.   Speak for yourself, Mr. Pinto-bean! 11:48  |  whomever 16/05/07
  8.   Idiot! 11:48  |  ariel 16/05/07
  9.   Thoughts And Actions Are Two Different Things 11:56  |  Yosemite 16/05/07
  10.   Shame on you Pinto, shame on Haaretz 11:59  |  sirius 16/05/07
  11.   This is a satire right? 12:12  |  Israel Israeli 16/05/07
  12.   Sheer chutzpah and lies 12:37  |  non-racist 16/05/07
  13.   Inward-looking 12:54  |  Mosche 16/05/07
  14.   our racism as well 12:57  |  Tarum 16/05/07
  15.   To israeli israeli 13:14  |  Anne 16/05/07
  16.   I wonder what racism will bring... 13:31  |  Anne 16/05/07
  17.   Quick to Make An Individual Act A Collective One 13:51  |  Yoram 16/05/07
  18.   A recognition of common humanity 13:56  |  Jerry 16/05/07
  19.   French Jews 14:14  |  Nina 16/05/07
  20.   To anne 14:20  |  Israel Israeli 16/05/07
  21.   There is no Muslim race 14:25  |  Pilly 16/05/07
  22.   FirstHesder Students, Second Religious Zionist,Now French Jews? 14:44  |  Alberto Cohen 16/05/07
  23.   Israel Israeli 14:45  |  Hassan 16/05/07
  24.   An aberration 14:48  |  Yehudit 16/05/07
  25.   An aberration 14:49  |  Yehudit 16/05/07
  26.   Imaginary Lines,The Maginot Line and The Bottom Line 15:08  |  Ronnie Wolman 16/05/07
  27.   Dear French Jews 15:12  |  Danite 16/05/07
  28.   Haaretz - Editor in Chief 15:33  |  Avrum 16/05/07
  29.   To Israel israeli 15:40  |  Anne 16/05/07
  30.   Ask Forgiveness for JEW-HATE Refusing toProtect Jews From TERROR 15:40  |  Linda Rivera 16/05/07
  31.   Self-Hating Arabs 15:42  |  Eyal 16/05/07
  32.   Thank you Goel Pinto ! At last, a sane voice 15:44  |  Yael 16/05/07
  33.   Prozac 15:47  |  Uri 16/05/07
  34.   There is no Jewish race either Pilly 15:48  |  Marilyn 16/05/07
  35.   Goel Pinto you idiot... 15:54  |  bat yam 16/05/07
  36.   Cher Danite 16:15  |  sh 16/05/07
  37.   To Uri/Prozac 16:17  |  Anne 16/05/07
  38.   To bat yam 16:27  |  Anne 16/05/07
  39.   Paris Riots of 2005--misnomer 16:28  |  bob 16/05/07
  40.   38 Anne. Yes, the Koreans did ask forgiveness but... 16:42  |  bat yam 16/05/07
  41.   Muslim Racism 16:43  |  Jo Jo 16/05/07
  42.   Ths "Bleeding heart" MORON FORGETS 16:45  |  Me 16/05/07
  43.   # 34 Marilyn. PERHAPS YOU HAVE SOMETHING THERE. 16:54  |  Kath` 16/05/07
  44.   Present at the psychiatric evaluation? 16:59  |  Ilan 16/05/07
  45.   To Anne 17:04  |  Uri 16/05/07
  46.   stupid article about a psychotic guy 17:14  |  michel 16/05/07
  47.   Bradley Burston Isn`t Alone - Another Self-Hating Jew 17:16  |  massaraksh 16/05/07
  48.   @ 30 Linda, I may tell you that the peace, love,... 17:18  |  Karl 16/05/07
  49.   racism 17:21  |  NDM 16/05/07
  50.   to Danite 17:32  |  Goldenberg 16/05/07
  51.   Sh and his limitations 17:32  |  Danite 16/05/07
  52.   This so called writer is a typical case of 17:36  |  TOMY 16/05/07
  53.   Sh#2 17:37  |  Danite 16/05/07
  54.   Pinto the Freak Jew 17:38  |  Danite 16/05/07
  55.   Mr.Goel Pinto.HAVE THE WHEELS GROUND TO A HALT? MY POST TO ANNE?? 17:40  |  Kath` 16/05/07
  56.   No Response To The Substance - Instead Attack The Writer 18:13  |  chet 16/05/07
  57.   Speak for yourself, Mr. Pinto 18:19  |  Moises 16/05/07
  58.   President of France apologized not the Muslims 18:25  |  Burned Liberal 16/05/07
  59.   "Israel and the US started this hate" 18:25  |  Gene 16/05/07
  60.   what race is Islam? 18:31  |  Seth J. Frantzman 16/05/07
  61.   Sheer Chutzpah 18:36  |  Mayer Abraham 16/05/07
  62.   Collective Punishment 18:38  |  Larry 16/05/07
  63.   You Mr.Pinto have the whole article Backwards... 18:46  |  Kath` 16/05/07
  64.   Another Failed Zionist Dream 18:47  |  massaraksh 16/05/07
  65.   Larry: You`re Right, the Irony Is So Thick, You Can Cut It 18:53  |  massaraksh 16/05/07
  66.   haaretz is a plane with only a left wing 19:03  |  izzy d 16/05/07
  67.   slander against French jews 19:10  |  Ben 16/05/07
  68.   Ilan Halimi 19:32  |  Curious Moroccan 16/05/07
  69.   Blame the whole Community? 19:33  |  Semsem 16/05/07
  70.   Would Haaretz say this about Muslims? 20:04  |  Bill 16/05/07
  71.   #66 Izzy 20:06  |  Bill 16/05/07
  72.   Forgive Haaretz its perfidy and lies 20:12  |  Jake 16/05/07
  73.   Learn the Golden Rule Pinto 20:17  |  Bill 16/05/07
  74.   TO Matthias Roth 20:31  |  Steve Beikirch 16/05/07
  75.   Marilyn, but there is a Jewish people/nation 20:37  |  Jake 16/05/07
  76.   THIS IS A STUPID ARTICLE 20:39  |  Baruch 16/05/07
  77.   Re: Blame the whole Community? 20:41  |  same Curious Morocca 16/05/07
  78.   racism 20:43  |  utagawa 16/05/07
  79.   76 - Agreed, This is a stupid article 20:50  |  Bruriah Sarah 16/05/07
  80.   64Massaraksh,the early Zionist dream was not to create a new Jew 20:56  |  laskhmi 16/05/07
  81.   Answer to # 79 20:59  |  Curious Moroccan 16/05/07
  82.   Lakshmi`s lies 21:10  |  Jake 16/05/07
  83.   Curious Moroccan, burying your head in the sand 21:15  |  Jake 16/05/07
  84.   Curious Moroccan, RE free speech 21:21  |  Jake 16/05/07
  85.   Steve Bike-Ryde 21:27  |  Albert Seligman 16/05/07
  86.   80: Laskhmi - You Don`t Know Who the Early Zionists Were 21:36  |  massaraksh 16/05/07
  87.   Racisme? 21:48  |  Motic 16/05/07
  88.   Robust sense of humour! 21:51  |  Sherlock Holmes 16/05/07
  89.   french jewish community 22:02  |  dina 16/05/07
  90.   Mr. Pinto forgot something 22:16  |  christa 16/05/07
  91.   Who are you, Danite ? 22:28  |  christa 16/05/07
  92.   Pinto, put a mirror in front of your own face 1 22:30  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/05/07
  93.   Goldenberg Shalom or should I say Bonjour 22:31  |  Danite 16/05/07
  94.   To Danite # 53 22:38  |  christa 16/05/07
  95.   the remedy for racism is justice 22:41  |  Pssd Off American 16/05/07
  96.   Pinto, put a mirror in front of your own face 2 22:42  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/05/07
  97.   To # 83 Jake 22:44  |  christa 16/05/07
  98.   Vous etes, Danite 22:46  |  sh 16/05/07
  99.   Christa "who is the Danite"? 22:54  |  Danite 16/05/07
  100.   forgive.....what???? 22:56  |  ljf-canada 16/05/07
  101.   christa#90 22:57  |  Danite 16/05/07
  102.   #90, christa 22:58  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/05/07
  103.   christa #90 23:11  |  ODP 16/05/07
  104.   Goel Pinto 23:12  |  Barney Rosen 16/05/07
  105.   Racism is what? 23:23  |  dovvod 16/05/07
  106.   Pinto 23:26  |  Connie 16/05/07
  107.   Jackass Rosen No. 104 00:06  |  Mitch Cohen 17/05/07
  108.   Reply to Danite # 101 00:19  |  christa 17/05/07
  109.   Kath - Jews are not a race 00:28  |  wibism 17/05/07
  110.   Disgusting 00:29  |  Baruch C. 17/05/07
  111.   Distorted cause-effect 00:31  |  Menachem 17/05/07
  112.   86Massaraksh,those are Zionist myths 00:44  |  lakshmi 17/05/07
  113.   mr pinto the hero of the french muslim is ben laden 00:50  |  dovdevan 17/05/07
  114.   French Muslims and the Jews 00:54  |  Rich Binder 17/05/07
  115.   #95 Pssd off American 00:56  |  Lynn 17/05/07
  116.   Thank you Mosche!! 01:03  |  RE: Inward-looking 17/05/07
  117.   To Nina 01:07  |  RE: French Jews 17/05/07
  118.   pinto forgive french jews to be from the right wing 01:11  |  dovdevan 17/05/07
  119.   Yet another cringer,Goel Pinto 01:35  |  Absolute Sweden 17/05/07
  120.   # ljf -Canada. FORGIVE....WHAT???? 01:42  |  Kath` 17/05/07
  121.   Dear Mr. Pinto 01:51  |  Marlene 17/05/07
  122.   (104) To Barney Rosen...who speaks exactly 01:55  |  Marlene 17/05/07
  123.   The actions of a few.... 02:05  |  Elizabeth Bennet 17/05/07
  124.   forgive us our racism 02:09  |  mosh 17/05/07
  125.   #1 02:57  |  Moshe 17/05/07
  126.   TO Albert Seligman 03:00  |  Steve Beikirch 17/05/07
  127.   Should we blame koreans for Cho 03:03  |  Steve 17/05/07
  128.   #4 03:05  |  Moshe 17/05/07
  129.   #Jake. Australia has Indigenous, original... 03:17  |  Maureen Ann 17/05/07
  130.   Better watch out! 03:56  |  Bill 17/05/07
  131.   Wibism & Marylyn- The Jewish race 03:58  |  Avrum 17/05/07
  132.   #112 03:59  |  Moshe 17/05/07
  133.   #77 1 million Jews fled Arab lands 04:10  |  Laila 17/05/07
  134.   #90 Sarkozy and the vote 04:44  |  Lynn 17/05/07
  135.   Laila. One Millions Jews fled Israel 04:45  |  Elizabeth 17/05/07
  136.   #99 Danite 05:00  |  Lynn 17/05/07
  137.   Maureen Ann 05:05  |  Lynn 17/05/07
  138.   christa, there is also a Jew in the Iranian parliament 05:18  |  Jake 17/05/07
  139.   wibsm, "Jews are a religion. Period." Uhh, not really! 05:29  |  Jake 17/05/07
  140.   Maureen Ann, Arabs are not indigenous to `Palestine` 05:42  |  Jake 17/05/07
  141.   Mr.Pinto 06:15  |  Connie 17/05/07
  142.   Lynn Hello! 06:18  |  Danite 17/05/07
  143.   Mitch Cohen back stabber # 1 07:33  |  Barney Rosen 17/05/07
  144.   To Marlene-another back stabber 07:41  |  Barney Rosen 17/05/07
  145.   #Lynn. Bethlehem was the cradle of Christianity. 07:56  |  Maureen Ann 17/05/07
  146.   and so you see, goel...the jackals unleash... 08:41  |  eric 17/05/07
  147.   Lashkmi, which Madras did you receive your education from? 09:11  |  Barry 17/05/07
  148.   Maureen Anne from Ozland 09:17  |  Barry 17/05/07
  149.   Racism??? 09:51  |  Pinchas ben Yisroal 17/05/07
  150.   distorsed reality 09:59  |  Michèle 17/05/07
  151.   distorsed reality 09:59  |  Michèle 17/05/07
  152.   ERIC- YOUR RHYME IS A CRIME 10:03  |  SPTZ 17/05/07
  153.   to Pinto: Yes and NO 10:10  |  Michèle 17/05/07
  154.   #146, eric 10:21  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 17/05/07
  155.   The Jewish "race"?????? No. 131 12:25  |  Marlene 17/05/07
  156.   So wise at only 27 years of age. Very impressive article. 14:02  |  Virginia 17/05/07
  157.   #156 Bravo 17:26  |  Curious Moroccan 17/05/07
  158.   #156 Bravo 17:26  |  Curious Moroccan 17/05/07
  159.   that was meant for #155...apologies! 17:40  |  Curious Moroccan 17/05/07
  160.   Marlene (#155), You are totally wrong 10:09  |  Yohann 18/05/07
  161.   Re: #160 20:13  |  Curious Moroccan 18/05/07
  162.   Re2 160 21:01  |  Curious Moroccan 18/05/07
  163.   In the Eye of the Beholder 19:15  |  Beatrix 19/05/07
  164.   In the Eye of the Beholder 19:15  |  Beatrix 19/05/07
  165.   Ilan Halimi has been killed by a muslim 22:17  |  ... 21/05/07
  166.   Constantine 1934, I remember ... 22:35  |  Pinhas 21/05/07
  167.   In France, the Jewishs... 23:15  |  Charles DALGER 21/05/07
  168.   Shame on you mr pinto 23:23  |  King David 21/05/07
  169.   Don`t forget hebron in 1929 23:27  |  ADO 21/05/07
  170.   Goel Pinto 23:31  |  ADO 21/05/07
  171.   Time for a reconciliation between Jews and Arabs 18:24  |  Antoine 22/05/07
  172.   Forgive Us Our Racism 20:25  |  Irving Newman 22/05/07
  173.   Forgive Us 01:47  |  Sidney Joel Goldberg 23/05/07
  174.   Forgive us our racism 17:23  |  AFLALO 23/05/07
  175.   q 15:53  |  s p 06/12/07
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