Europe's no-go Jewish zones are only the beginning - opinion

• Published date: 21 March 2024
• Author: COOKIE SCHWAEBER-ISSAN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

In the UK, it occurred under the reign of King Edward I, whose Edict of Expulsion in 1290, was the cause of 3,000 Jews being forced to leave. Likewise, France has seen its share of Jewish expulsions during the 13th and 14th centuries, a time which is referred to as its unenlightened period

As a whole, it hasn't happened in Europe since the 1930s. But the idea that both of these countries would, once again, see a revival of such practices has to serve as a glaring sign of the times and the frightening direction of where things are heading.

Ironically, these two countries, which are now experiencing this unwelcoming atmosphere for Jews, are home to a wide spectrum of ethnicities, many of whom escaped their own countries of origin after suffering from intolerance and a lack of inclusiveness for all.

This is the very reason why these open societies were an attractive option to those who valued the freedom that eluded them, appreciating such iconic and meaningful symbols as the Statue of Liberty – or the London Eye, representing the solidarity of all of London's inhabitants.

Does liberty include Jews?

IN PARIS, someone apparently forgot to tell them that liberty does not exclude Jews since some Parisian activists think it does. Just last week, they were seen denying "entry of Jewish students to a Paris university, refusing to allow Jewish students access to the Sciences Po University's Emile-Boutmy amphitheater."

The hall, which had been flanked with Palestinian flags, was the venue dedicated to host an event called "4 Hours 4 Palestine, where a number of lectures had been scheduled to delve into the topic of "Palestinian Perspectives, refugees, Judaism and anti-Zionism." As expected, pro-Palestinian activists wasted no time in promoting the idea of a Palestinian state "from the river to the sea," which would effectively make Israel a no-go zone for Jews as well.

The event, sponsored by the usual Jew-haters, whose knowledge of history or the Jewish people could fill a thimble, was predictable, but more important was how the university's administration reacted to these events.

In this case, they were said to be launching an investigation while a state criminal investigation has also been taking place simultaneously. The official statement of the Paris Institute of Political Studies was, "We are committed to fighting against antisemitism and regret that conflict in the Middle East has strained relations between student communities to the detriment of a pluralism...