CRIF Annual Gala Dinner in Nice

 

The CRIF shows its claws


Concerns, danger, national tearing apart, Toulouse slaughter, watchfulness, insecurity, rogue states, non-respect of the Muslim women's rights, duty to remember, these are the words that have most often reasoned on December 9 in the Palais de la Méditerranée Azur salon in Nice, where many people had met for the CRIF Southeast annual dinner, chaired by Mr. Alain Belhassen, representing the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France on the Côte d'Azur.

Surrounded by many personalities such as Ms. Yasmina Benguigui, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, responsible for the Francophonie, Personal Representative of the President of the Republic, Mr. Christophe Mirmand, Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, Michel Vauzelle, MP, President of the Region Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur represented by Mr. Allemend, Mr. Patrick and Polski, Christian Estrosi, Deputy Mayor of Nice and President of Nice Côte d'Azur Métropole, Mr Eric Ciotti, Deputy President of the General Council Alpes-Maritimes represented by Professor Benchimol, Mr. Barnea Hassid, Consul General of Israel, Richard Prasquier, President of CRIF.

The CRIF is by far the largest Jewish organization in France; its is defending the right of Jews to live peacefully in France despite increasing anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic attacks. The CRIF has any legitimacy in the eyes of politicians to transmit its coreligionists words.


Each personality was able to express in their speech the concern about the Islamic rise in the Arab countries bordering Israel. Under the guise of a so-called Arab Spring, having chased with joy their former dictators in the name of an utopian and ephemeral freedom, a lever now used by the Muslim Brotherhood to winning the bet, looking like liberators, the enemy in ambush in order not to panic people, moves ahead masked, extending its tentacles over Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and soon Syria. Their social and moderate discourse along the democratization process, as well as their highly structured organization allows them to access supreme power, following a technique successfully used in 1979 by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini, who kept hammering - when he was in France during the fall of the Shah - that his dearest wish was to resume his classes for his students, left back in Tehran, and that the power was the least of his worries.

We know what happened of his commitment. The Marxist left took to the streets in Tehran and has allowed the mullahs to get the revolution to their advantage. Since the Islamic Republic holds the power in Tehran with a heavy hand, and today provides a political, military and diplomatic support to the Hamas - an organization advocating the destruction of the state of Israel through jihad - as well as to the Hezbollah, to whom it supplies weapons and ammunition for huge sums. Its current President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is constantly shouting to anyone who will listen that Israel must be wiped off the map and that the regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time, that he is doubting of the Shoah, and is calling Israel a "tumor", asking Germany and Austria to cede part of their territory to establish Israel. The threat of Iran becoming a nuclear power despite unfruitful international sanctions, is an additional and extremely serious danger, forcing the Israeli government, attached to its military power, to take action of demonstration of force (anti chemical and bacteriological kits available to more than half the population, construction of underground bunkers, improved anti-missile equipment) to protect its population.


But is also urgent because, today in France, Islamists are trying to gain foothold onto the national territory. This was reflected with the slaughter at the Jewish Collège-Lycée Ozar Hatorah in Toulouse, claimed by a group linked to Al Qaeda in the Islamist Maghreb (AQIM) and signed by the organization "Jund al Kalifah" (Soldiers of the Caliphate) which has already claimed responsibility for attacks in Afghanistan and Kazakhstan, and perpetrated by "Youssef the French", described as "one of Islam's knights". This caused Barnea Hassid, Consul General of Israel in Marseille, to voice in his speech a need for vigilance with regard to the danger the worrying phenomenon of anti-Semitism poses in the French society, and despite the new President François Hollande's serious decision to support the Palestinian demand for accessing the UN non-member State status, we must at all costs keep in mind that the Franco-Israeli friendship is not an utopia, it indeed has existed, and will continue to exist, since, after the President's words: "the Jews should know that the Republic does everything to protect them, ensuring their safety is a national priority. It is not the Jews' issue but that of all the French as a whole". France is the first country to have emancipated the Jews in 1791 and recognized them full citizenship. How for all these reasons not being anxious in a situation that is worsening day by day, with more sophisticated tools, such as the Internet and social media, used by small hateful, racist, neo-Nazi, fundamentalist, Islamist, terrorists homophobic groups to spread their hate messages ?


Richard Pasquier, CRIF's national president criticized the media's role in the demonization of Israel: "There is a campaign in the media world, to put onto Israel the full responsibility for the conflict by minimizing the part played by its opponents". Responding to his remarks, Minister Yasmina Benguigui made the promise, using her powers of personal advisor of President François Hollande for the Francophonie, to integrate Israel in the OIF (Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie), organization to which only Lebanon opposes an access veto. The Minister went on to describe her cinematic experience the Muslim mothers' hardship during years of immigration and recalled that we had to "fight obscurantism and fanaticism that undermine the spirit." Finally, she added:" We must do France all together!"


So these concerns have been hovering over the audience on December 9 in Nice, between shadow and light, our republicans elected came to us with a message of understanding and peace, to live together, of friendship and strong relationships, of mutual respect and freedom, of struggle against fanaticism, terrorism, racism, anti-Semitism, of freedom of conscience and commitment to education, science, culture, of collaboration between nations, openness and cooperation with the countries bordering the Mediterranean.

It is customary in these celebrations of Hanukkah to offer gifts for eight days to children and a spinner marked with four Hebrew initials meaning "it was a great miracle." Miracle of life, certainly, since the Jewish people managed to survive all the hardships that have scattered his way, when seeking freedom and recognition and no longer live in hatred and fear of the future. Such is the aspiration of the Jewish people, the people of the lights.


Were also present at the CRIF dinner:


Monseigneur Louis Sankalé, Archbishop

Distinguished Rabbis Frank Téboul and Joseph Abitan

Mr Gaston Franco, MEP, Mayor of Saint Martin Vésubie

Mr. Deputy Mayor Jean Claude Guibal

Mr Rudy Salles, Deputy Adviser and Chairman of France-Israel

Mr. Mayors: Alain Gumiel, Mayor of Vallauris Golfe Juan, Stéphane Cherki, Mayor of Eze

Mr Kamoun, representating Mr Brochant, Deputy Mayor of Cannes

As well as representatives for Mayors of Mandelieu, St Laurent du Var, St Jean Cap Ferrat and Vence

Ms Filippi, General Counselor and Ms Danielle Tubiana, General Councillor, representing the Mayor of Grasse.


www.crif.org