The reality of Islamic persecution in France

Submitted by Lee Kaplan (United States), Feb 4, 2015 at 09:04

I have close friends, a Jewish family in Paris who are planning to make aliyah and move to Israel. The reality is that years ago this family wouldn't have dreamed of leaving France for Israel due to language difficulties, job availability and because back then they were perfectly happy living in France. They did not live in "Jewish" neighborhoods, yet conveyed to me over the years how life in Paris has changed for them.

"No go zones" is perfectly fine to describe what goes on. Changing the description to sound more [politically correct is fruitless and leads only to more of the same. My friend's in-laws, and his own parents were very much French men and women. His mother-in-law was staucnhly French and even criticized the American diet as "desguelas" (disgusting compared to how the French eat. Today they live in Netanya in Israel and are recommending their offspring follow--and soon.

Issa, a pretty little blonde with green eyes, and Marc, a tall handsome man with dark eyes and hair are the descendants of these French-Jewish emigres to Israel. Both were firmly French ten years ago. Today they tell me there are streets where the Muslims block off intersections and conduct prayer services in Islam filling up the public thoroughfares so residents cannot come and go from their homes until the Muslim "security guards" let them so as not to interrupt the Islamic services. The police won't intervene.

Issa owned an optical shop at one time. Her windows were constantly broken and antisemitic graffiti spray painted on the facade. One day, while sitting in her shop alone because business had declined an imam from the neighborhood appeared and stood before her. Clad in Islamic clothing. he demanded to know, was it true Issa was Jewish? Terrified, she replied, "Why, no. I have blonde hair and green eyes. Do I look Jewish?" Satisfied with her answer he left her alone.

"They think the country belongs to them. They were checking the Jews in the neighborhood," Marc and Issa told me. Marc and Issa are not Orthodox Jews; they don't wear religious-style clothing or a yarmulke. Hence, the imam's visit. Had he determined that Issa was a Jewess would he have told his flock at the local mosque to drive them from their store and the neighborhood? It is more than likely.

Marc and Issa are making aliyah with their three children soon. The reason is because their neighborhood where they lived and worked is indeed a no go zone for them. Using euphemisms or differently descriptive words does not change that fact.

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