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French Leaders Condemn Anti-Semitic Demonstrations
French President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin Wednesday condemned the anti-Semitic demonstrations and attacks which took place in the Paris region over the past few days.
"The demonstrations of intolerance are unacceptable to a democratic country," Chirac said in a statement issued by the Elysee presidential palace.
"They seriously jeopardize the values and traditions of the French Republic," he added.
Jospin also condemned the anti-Semitic slogans shouted by a number of demonstrators during a protest against Israel held last Saturday in Paris.
The Socialist Party and the Communist Party have also condemned the anti-Semitic demonstrations.
During a meeting with Chirac last Sunday, representatives from the French Jewish community warned against an outbreak of conflict between the Jewish and Arab communities in France because of the tension in the Middle East.
An arson attack destroyed part of a synagogue in Yvelines, west of Paris on Tuesday. Some other synagogues in the Paris region also suffered attacks.
Some anti-Semitic graffiti were still seen on Wednesday on buildings in some suburban towns of Paris.
France has a large Arab community, mainly of Maghreb origins. Its far-right National Front party is openly hostile towards Jews.
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