French Jews decry community leader's remarks on aliyah - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Sat., August 25, 2007 Elul 11, 5767

Israel Time: 01:33 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Print Edition

Diplomacy

Defense

Arts & Leisure

Real Estate

Jewish World

National

Advertising

Magazine

Week's End

Business

Opinion

Rosner's Domain

Anglo File

Travel

Sports

del.icio.us

Digg It! new

French Jews decry community leader's remarks on aliyah

By Anshel Pfeffer

Haaretz's interview with Dr. Joel Mergui, president of the umbrella organization of Jewish groups in Paris, created a stir among French Jews upon its publication yesterday.

Mergui suggested that French Jews' growing ties to Israel and the increase in immigration from France might weaken and even decimate the community in France. Community web sites posted extensive quotes from the interview, and a series of Jewish leaders criticized Mergui.

	Advertisement

One critic, Gil Taieb, is Mergui's deputy in Paris, as well as chair of the French chapter of the IDF Soldier's Welfare Association. Taieb told Haaretz he does not believe the community is in any danger.

"Three thousand immigrants a year does not pose a danger, and all of the community's leaders should give those people every support, not just to immigrate but also to remain in Israel," he said, adding that immigrating to Israel is a personal decision that has nothing to do with anti-Semitism.

"Our community is strong. A Jew is French like any other Frenchman," he continued.

"There are many Jews in politics and business, and I think there is no problem with being a Jew who has great love for the land of Israel and also a true citizen of France. There will always be Jews in France who wish to live there."

Ariel Goldman, a member of the leading French Jewish umbrella group CRIF, echoed those sentiments.

"There is no problem with immigration. The community is very strong, and it's not the community's numbers that ought to worry us, it's the base. And that is strong - thanks in part to the ties between France and Israel. With regard to Mergui's statements, I say there is nothing new under the sun. He is saying things we thought maybe 25 years ago, but not anymore," he said.

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	The Prime Grill
	Joey Allaham's kosher restaurants are making a big splash among NY celebrities.


	Strictly mainstream
	Naftali Kuntzmacher has never left the center. It's you who've become an ephemeral left.

Today Online


	Bradley Burston: Let Arabs tell the truth
	Responses: 406


	Turkey angered by new ADL stance on Armenian 'genocide'
	Responses: 338


	Rosner: The war over the American pro-Israel lobby, redux
	Responses: 152


	Jonathan Spyer: Both Zionism, radical Islam are revival movements
	Responses: 124


	U.S. school stops Hebrew classes for promoting Judaism
	Responses: 191


	Alon Liel: Bush turning Mideast summit into cowboys and Indians
	Responses: 102

More Headlines
23:42 IDF arrests 2 Palestinians for aiding Gaza infiltrators


00:07 Noam Shalit denies receiving calming message from Hamas


22:25 Abbas opposes exchange of populated territory with Israel


01:18 Hamas forces attempt to arrest prominent Gaza journalist


18:24 Mubarak: Mideast summit lacks structure, consensus on issues


19:40 Ex-MK Bishara says will head bid to try U.S., Israeli 'war criminals'


21:40 Haifa woman suspected of planning, ordering husband's death


20:05 Hamas TV attacks Fatah using cartoon mimicking Disney's 'Lion King'


16:52 Ex-Nazi guard John Demjanjuk may be deported from U.S. soon


16:18 4 people including 3 family members killed in car crash in N. Israel