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Paris, 22 June 2021

In a letter to the principal French political party leaders, Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, noted that “In December 2019, the National Assembly adopted the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) Definition of Antisemitism, as a tool to support French policy in combating this particular form of discrimination,” adding, “As we approach the second and final regional elections round, we call upon your Party to take a clear stand concerning one of the issues that is a blight on society at both the local and national level.”

The letter stressed that, “Although Jews in France are but 1% of the total population, they are targeted by 33% of racist insults and violence. Antisemitism is not only increasing – its perpetrators ranging from couch-ideologues to inflamed Jihadists – but it is also covered by social media anonymity and the perception of impunity,” continuing, “Indeed, the torture to death of Ilan Halimi, the massacre at the Otzar Hatorah school in Toulouse, the Hyper Cacher terror attack, the aggression of Roger Pinto’s family, the desecrated cemeteries of Strasbourg, the murders of Sarah Halimi and of Holocaust survivor Mireille Knoll... are but the tip of the iceberg in the daily ordeal of French Jewish citizens.”

The Centre argued that “the IHRA Definition has been adopted by the European Union, by its member-States... but also by municipalities (ranging from Paris to Strasbourg to Nice), football clubs and businesses that are examples of the sense of belonging in society.”

“We call on your Party to openly adopt the IHRA Definition and add it as an instrument to your policy, both internal as well as open to the public. To paraphrase Simon Wiesenthal, ‘What begins with the Jews, does not end with the Jews!’ and ‘For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing...’ An effective policy does not only concentrate on denouncing division and enforcing security, but also needs positive action and good will to bring citizens together in solidarity with the principles of the Republic,’ concluded Samuels.

List of parties approached:
LFI (La France Insoumise) : Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Président
PCF (Parti Communiste Français) : Fabien Roussel, Secrétaire National
EELV (Europe, Ecologie, Les Verts) : Julien Bayou, Secrétaire National
PS (Parti Socialiste) : Olivier Faure, Premier Secrétaire
LaREM (La République en Marche) : Stanislas Guerini, Délégué Général
MoDem (Mouvement Démocrate) : Jean-Noël Barrot, Secrétaire Général
Agir (Agir, La Droite Constructive) : Franck Riester, Président
UDI (Union des Démocrates et Indépendants) : Jean-Christophe Lagarde, Président
LR (Les Républicains) : Aurélien Pradié, Secrétaire Général
DLF (Debout La France) : Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Président
RN (Rassemblement National) : Marine Le Pen, Présidente