Articles by Simone Rodan-Benzaquen

The Iranian regime unleashed an unprecedented attack against Israel on the night of April; 13-14: a barrage of 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles.

The American Jewish community is reeling not just from the shock of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack but also from the explosion in domestic Jew hatred it has provoked. Antisemitic vandalism, harassment, intimidation, and violence, including an incident last week where Queens high school students rioted over a teacher attending a pro-Israel rally, have skyrocketed across the country. Personal relationships have been shattered by the realization that some friends support Hamas.

The spectre of Iran continues to loom over the Hamas attack on Israel. Being the de facto bank for armed militias and terrorists throughout the Middle East has been part of Iran's stock-in-trade for decades. Written by Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, Director of AJC Europe

Last December, after being expelled by Israel, Salah Hamouri was greeted with a hero's welcome at the Paris airport by several Members of Parliament of “La France Insoumise.” Ersilla Soudais, an MP from the far left party even described Hamouri's expulsion as “a deportation orchestrated by Israel,” an inappropriate choice of words, to say the least. For those who follow the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but above all its treatment in France, this is not surprising.

Growing up as a Jew in traumatized post-Holocaust Germany, I have been haunted by the imperative of “Never Again.” As the Russian army retreats from areas north of Kyiv and we are collectively getting a glimpse of the horrors Ukrainians have been enduring, those words keep resonating in my mind. Corpses in the streets, testimonies of brutal executions of men, mass rapes of women and girls as young as 8, dying from their internal wounds. Is “Never Again” happening all over again?

Faced with the brutal reality of a war on the European continent, we are now witnessing a European awakening. To counteract foreign interference in our democracies, members of the European Parliament finally passed a resolution a few weeks ago against destabilization efforts by foreign powers. In the fields of defense, technology and energy, responses are being prepared. France, which has long advocated for a "strategic rearmament" and also "European sovereignty," could take the lead, working with its European and American partners rather than ignoring their concerns and pleas.

Countries are lining up to declare they will not attend the20th anniversary of the UN’s notorious 2001 World Conference Against Racism, held in Durban, South Africa. The gathering is set to take place on September 22, during the opening days of the UN General Assembly.

Demonstrations in the West Bank and the ensuing crackdown have been almost entirely ignored by Western media, politicians and civil society. The traditional champions of the Palestinian cause, those on the Far Left who vehemently protested Israel's actions in Gaza during the most recent conflict with Hamas, have remained silent.

I am feeling déjà vu. During the latest Israel-Hamas battle, my Twitter and Instagram feeds were flooded with messages from Hollywood stars, American supermodels, influencers and hard-left U.S. Democratic lawmakers condemning Israel in the strongest possible terms, often using terms such as “racial inequality,” “police violence” or “apartheid.” Sitting here in Europe, I have seen these kinds of descriptions before.

European countries, in cooperation with the United States, must stand firm in their opposition and take an approach that reflects our strategic interests, convictions, and values.

The fight against political Islam is also important precisely because the overwhelming majority of Muslims in France and Germany do not feel represented by the organizations of political Islam.
The state must finally be concerned with making this majority heard and supporting and strengthening these Muslims in their fight against fanatics.

By considering Hezbollah as a legitimate interlocutor in the process — engaging its representatives in Lebanon — France is perpetuating the problems. Unless Macron addresses the issue of Hezbollah, nothing will change.

France must join its European partners in calling for Hezbollah to be placed on the European Union's list of terrorist organizations if it wants to be comprehensive in its fight against terrorism. France could very well become the next European hotspot for the organization once it is driven out of Germany.

As a European engaged around the clock with American Jews, I feel a sense of responsibility and urgency to share our experience. With every exhausting debate over what constitutes antisemitism, with every refusal to take into consideration antisemitism from the other side of the political divide, with every glance at the overwhelming amount of antisemitic hate speech online, and every time I see certain politicians in the U.S. fail to find the courage to speak out clearly and unequivocally and come up with a clear plan to combat this cancer, I get more nervous.

Since antisemitism is symptomatic of a greater societal malaise, it should be made clear that antisemitism is not a "Jewish" problem, but a hatred that eats away at the foundations of our society. In this fight, nothing less than the future of an open, liberal, Europe is at stake.

Denouncing antisemitic and antidemocratic rhetoric, wherever it comes from- targeting both Jews and the state, the police, and all national institutions— is I believe my and every person of good faith’s duty.

Today, April 19, 2018, we mark the 75th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Mireille Knoll’s murder haunts me. It is a painful reminder (as if we needed one) of the face of antisemitism in France today, where a helpless and sick 85-year-old Holocaust survivor can be killed in her apartment for one reason only: because she is Jewish.

President Macron's words demonstrate a growing awareness of this scourge at the highest levels of government and a determination to take a stand. So why is it that despite such admirable statements I feel a disheartening and wearying déjà vu?

AJC Europe Director Simone Rodan-Benzaquen responds to an op-ed on Jews in France published in the New York Times.