PARIS (EJP)--- The French Union of Jewish Students in France (UEJF) has brought a lawsuit against the banned extremist black group “Tribu Ka” after it opened a new website.

The group’s leader appeared in a French court Monday to defend himself against charges of anti-Semitism over the contents of his website.

The verdict is due on Monday 25 September.

Student leader Benjamin Abtan explains the move in an interview with EJP.

EJP: The French media are trying to ignore extremists such as Dieudonne and Tribu Ka so that they won’t get any publicity. Don’t you worry that by suing Tribu Ka, the students will bring attention to it?

Benjamin Abtan: In the current context, we sometimes have to face this dilemma, but I don’t think we should give in to this perverse logic.
The content of the new site is openly anti-Semitic and reprehensible. We can’t just “let it slide” because we wish to avoid creating publicity for extremists. These racist insults must be condemned, but the student union does not limit its action to legal suits. We lead at the same time an educational battle and we promote dialogue.
I don’t think we can effectively continue our pedagogical work if the people who promote hatred aren’t condemned.
At the same time, I do think we should be cautious in order to avoid giving them any extra publicity. We should also take great care that this does not appear as a conflict between communities.
The UEJF participates in the fight against discrimination and for the remembrance of slavery. It’s in the name of these battles for equality that we are launching this lawsuit.

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EJP: UEJF wishes to see Tribu Ka’s new web site banned because of its alleged anti-Semitic content. What kind of material did you find on the site?

Benjamin Abtan: Tribu Ka is in essence a racist group that designates as superior a fantasised Black race it calls Kemite and rejects all those who do not fit into that category.
The first target of Tribu Ka is the Jews, whom they designate as “juifists” and accuse of mastering a long-term plan to control the world. This resembles classical anti-Semitic theory.
I think these accusations are very important because they interact with genuine fears, angers and worries of a part of the Black community in France, and they encourage tensions between the two communities.
Tribu Ka gives a simple explanation to the causes of poverty and discrimination against Black citizens. It simply accuses the Jews.

EJP: What kind of impact does Tribu Ka have? Does it have a wide influence?
Benjamin Abtan: Tribu Ka is an extremely small group, but it recently made headlines when it appeared on Rosiers Street [in Paris on 28 May] and threatened people. Tribu KA doesn’t have many registered members, but it expresses ideas that circulate in wider circles.
Some people who do not feel represented by anyone turn to Tribu Ka, which speaks of the pride and honour of Black people.
They use genuine problems such as racism to get public support. That is dangerous. The real problems of discrimination must be addressed in order to attain equality, and at the same time Tribu Ka’s actions must be stopped.

EJP: How is the extremist phenomenon as represented by Tribu Ka and Dieudonne addressed in suburbs and impoverished neighbourhoods?

Benjamin Abtan: Our organisation and other associations are constantly operating in these neighbourhoods. Two years ago, we launched a wide-ranging project called “Coexist,” in which two educators, one from UEJF another from the North African association Convergence, meet with schoolchildren to try to deconstruct their racist or anti-Semitic prejudices.
The educators offer the children a view of reality to replace their fantasised image of the other.
We organise numerous meetings between Jewish students and militants from other associations throughout France. We try to destroy the image of the villain Jew by working with people and writing articles together.
However, the situation is preoccupying and far too few associations are participating in these dialogue activities.
We all have to confront our fears and our own community, and that’s not easy.
We instinctually turn in to our community and close in on each other. It brings us comfort, but that is not the right solution. We shouldn’t be scared of those that are different from us, we should interact with them. That’s the only way to go.


EJP: We’ve spoken to associations like Suburbs of the World and SOS Racism about their fight for tolerance. They said they basically have to undo all the damage done by extremists such as Dieudonne and Tribu Ka. Do you feel this battle is being won and that the influence of the new anti-Semites is blocked?

Benjamin Abtan: The atmosphere is definitely tense and many encourage hatred and confrontation between communities.
At the beginning of this new year, we are pushing our fight further and we know it can’t be avoided. We have a long and rough battle to fight on campuses and elsewhere. Anti-Zionists are speaking out, and we have to confront them.
These problems have to be addressed, and we think that living exclusively among Jews in order to avoid them is not a solution.

EJP: Has the UEJF ever considered separating the fight against anti-Semitism and advocacy for Israel and Zionism?

Benjamin Abtan: Explaining and researching Zionism is part of our mission. We understand very clearly what Zionism is. But some people, mostly from the far left, use anti-Zionist theses to express freely less authorised ideas against Jews in general.
Speaking of Zionism enables us to explain what it truly is. We can then undo and prove false certain clichés.