Antisemitism is a threat to Europe and the freedoms it took centuries to achieve

The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks famously said, “Antisemitism isn’t a threat just for Jews, it’s a threat first and foremost to Europe and the freedoms it took centuries to achieve.” The recent social breakdown in France provides yet another example of an age-old historical truth: untreated antisemitism is both a catalyst and warning sign of a broader sickness in society. Antisemitism is the canary in the coal mine – and when unchecked, it’s followed by broad social upheaval, economic destruction, and cultural stagnation – throughout history and today. Over the last several decades in France, a pattern has played out that is familiar across history. Antisemitic violence has proliferated in French society, often going unpunished by the judicial system, unaddressed by the political establishment, and unabated by the public. Hate crimes, muggings, terrorism, and intimidation have targeted the small Jewish community. 74% of French Jews were victims of antisemitic acts during their lifetime and 61% of anti-religious acts in France have been directed at Jews.

Although Jews represent less than 1 percent of the French population, 40 percent of all violent hate crimes in France are antisemitic. Due to “political correctness” France has not done nearly enough to combat antisemitism. And like many western nations, France’s antisemitism is not confined to one political camp. It comes mostly from growing hostile Muslim population, but also from the far left and the far right.The appeasement of vicious antisemitism in France, as Jews have been killed in high-profile terror attacks and hate crimes, has allowed the seeds of social unrest to fester. This tolerance of hatred has resulted in French Jews emigrating in record numbers, ultimately leading to the situation today in France – rioting, lawlessness, and political violence.Elected leaders must protect France from repeating the mistakes of the past. If they don’t, you can find many other examples in history to see where the country may be headed.

Throughout History, the hate that began with Jews never ended with Jews. For thousands of years, Iraqi Jews constituted one of the world’s oldest and most historically significant Jewish communities. In 1941, a pogrom, known as the Farhud, was carried out on the Jewish population. Hundreds of Jews were murdered, thousands were injured, and looting overtook Jewish businesses. The pogrom began a decade of severe persecution, leading to the ultimate Jewish exodus of Iraq in the early 1950’s after the establishment of a safe homeland for the Jewish people in Israel. What followed was the cultural, societal, and economic downfall of Iraq. The through line is clear. Iraq persecuted, attacked, and dispossessed their vital Jewish community – leading to a decline in intellectual and cultural diversity, and a tarnished reputation on the international stage – leading to diminished foreign investment, trade, and diplomacy.

Weakened democratic institutions struggle to protect minority rights, including those of Jewish communities. In the absence of reliable institutions, extremist ideologies, including antisemitism, flourish. Weakened educational institutions may fail to provide accurate historical context, perpetuating stereotypes, and biases. Compromised journalistic institutions enable conspiracy theories to thrive and go unchecked.

And a crisis of leadership enables antisemitic narratives to exploit societal grievances. In conclusion Antisemitism’s destructiveness cannot be overlooked when analyzing a nation’s demise. From social divisions to economic setbacks and cultural losses, antisemitism plays a significant role leading to societal breakdown. It is essential for France to acknowledge the historical, destructive power of antisemitism, and work to bolster its institutions and confront its internal strife. Only through such efforts can France prevent the recurrence of history's tragic mistakes and forge a path forward for liberalism, western democracy, and pluralism.

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-752522

[TBC: Neither France nor any nation will stop the hatred fanned by Satan. The prophet Joel recorded that “I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat...” (Joel:3:2I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
See All...; see also Zech. 7,8, etc.). There the nations shall be judged for this hatred.]