Paris, 30 May 2010

The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Director for International Relations, Dr.Shimon Samuels, expressed solidarity with Sammy Ghozlan, President of the Bureau National contre l’Antisemitisme (BNVCA, French National Bureau Against Antisemitism). 

Former Police Inspector, Ghozlan’s personal car was parked in his home garage, and burned last week – in the early hours of the morning – in what police have termed “a criminal act of voluntary arson”.

Samuels noted that “the Simon Wiesenthal Centre had supported the BNVCA, since its establishment by Ghozlan, following the spike in antisemitic 
violence across France related to the 2000 outbreak of the Second intifada”. 

He added, “the BNVCA was born at a time that the authorities, law enforcement, media and even the Jewish community were in denial regarding the new antisemitism emanating from the Middle East – though the number of incidents was growing daily”. 

“The attack on Ghozlan’s car cannot be considered personal. It is a warning to the Jews of France and to other victims of hate crimes. The Wiesenthal Centre, on behalf of its French associate – the BNVCA – calls upon the Government to announce a zero tolerance policy for incitement and to take preventive measures,” concluded Samuels.