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| French politicians and Jews speak out at Halimi march
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March in memory of Ilan Halimi 26 february 2006 in Paris
Photo: Alain Azria
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EJP spoke to politicians and members of the general public at the march about how they felt about the situation.
“This demonstration is a success, but it’s not enough,” former Socialist minister Bernard Kouchner told EJP. “We can’t tolerate the bad smell that has spread throughout this country and we have to protest against all racist acts.”
Youssef Fofana, the 25-year-old who has admitted masterminding the murder, said he chose Halimi as he was Jewish and therefore assumed he was rich. Fofana, however, denied being anti-Semitic.
Kouchner dismissed Fofana’s claims."When this discussion starts it means the line was crossed," the politician said. "Is an assault 50 percent or 49 percent anti-Semitic? These considerations are not appropriate. All racism has to be fought.”
Another former Socialist minister, Dominique Strauss-Kahn noted that the investigation was not yet complete.
"This is not about a single incident, Ilan’s murder symbolises the growing tension, anti-Semitism and racism in our country," he said. "We have to fight against it whether the murder was motivated by anti-Semitism or not.”
“This tragedy by itself won’t change anything in our society, but if we mobilise ourselves and fight against intolerance every day we can make it draw back,” Straus Kahn added.
But Georges Sarre, Mayor of the Paris 11th arrondissement, where Ilan worked, was convinced that Fofana was acting on anti-Semitic tendencies.
“We have to draw new lines. Take our civic responsibilities,” he said. “There is no degree in anti-Semitism. You’re either anti-Semitic or you’re not. His way of reasoning resembles what we knew before WWII, it makes no sense in 2006.”
French political scientist Jean-Yves Camus, an expert on extreme right, said he believes some people are hiding themselves from the truth when they say Ilan’s murder is not necessarily anti-Semitic.
"The investigation shows today that anti-Semitism was a part of the attackers’ state of mind," he said.
"It’s not an ideological anti-Semitism and the suspects are not militants. This reminds us that prejudice is anti-Semitism. They don’t have to be militants.
"These are barbarians criminals that have the oldest type of anti-Semitic stereotype: Jews are rich and have solidarity for one another. They’re not individuals but considered as a group with pre-defined criteria.
"When kidnappers target mainly Jews, either Zionists or anti-Zionists like Roni Brauman, founder of “Medecins Sand Frontieres” or Doctors Without Borders when they ask from Ilan’s parents to go get the money in a synagogue, what is this other then an anti-Semitic act?”
Camus also stressed the importance of the demo. “This march is one of the rare united movements we have seen in the past twenty years for such a dramatic event," he said.
“This murder took place at a time when the number of anti-Semitic assaults dropped. This shows the quantity has lessened but that the level of the attacks has increased since this is the first time in France that a Jew is murdered for anti-Semitic motives.”
Miss France 2006 Alexandra Rosenfeld also participated in the Sunday demonstration. When she was elected on December 3, Rosenfeld was targeted by several anti-Jewish remarks but avoided reacting to them.
Meanwhile one member of the public who demonstrated in Paris said he now fears for the safety of his family.
“We have to react strongly because this tragedy can repeat itself if we don’t,” said Jean, who was accompanied by his wife and two teen-aged children.
“This murder scares me. I didn’t sleep for a week, I just worried for my daughter whenever she left the house. We feel that our justice is unable of reacting to this kind of violence.
"Criminals aren’t scared of the sentence they might get, and when fundamentalism is involved we get the impression they aren’t even afraid of dying. I’m sure Fofana isn’t scared of death.”
“The way Ilan was tortured proves that the kidnappers felt strong hate towards him. To me this can only be racial hate. We’ve been hearing since yesterday that the kidnappers killed him because he saw them. But in that case they could have just eliminated him, they didn’t have to torture him. This fact alone shows that this is an anti-Semitic crime.
Protesters recited the kaddish or mourner’s prayer when they walked past the telephone store where Ilan Halimi has worked for three weeks before he was approached by the gang. Some demonstrators said they had no illusion.
“I don’t know why I came today,” said 42-year-old Pierre, who came with several of his friends. “I’m certain nothing will change after this tragedy and that Ilan’s murder will be forgotten. I think that this demonstration is useless but I just had to come.
“The head of the gang says that he’s not anti-Semitic but that he chose Ilan because he was Jewish and Jews are rich. His words prove he is anti-Semitic because anti-Semitism is by definition a confusion. He just doesn’t know what anti-Semitism is.”
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