Contrary to many reports, French President Jacques Chirac did not say that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is not welcome in France. A French presidential source did say, however, that "a visit by the Israeli prime minister to Paris... won't be looked at closely until" Israel provides an explanation for Sharon's recent call to French Jewry.
The French Embassy's press office told Arutz-7 that Israel and France have been searching for a number of months for an acceptable date for a visit by Sharon to France. The spokesperson said that the search has now been suspended.
In a speech on Sunday, Sharon reacted to increasing anti-Semitism in France by citing the country's "wild anti-Semitism" and urging French Jews to move to Israel "before it's too late." Sharon has consistently called for Aliyah - Jewish immigration to Israel - from all over the world, and has said that Aliyah is his government's main priority. French officials reacted almost immediately: The Foreign Ministry issued a terse statement calling Sharon's remarks "unacceptable," while Jean-Louis Debre, president of France's lower house of Parliament, said that they were "inadmissible, unacceptable and, furthermore, irresponsible."
AP reports that the latest French Interior Ministry figures show 510 anti-Jewish acts or threats in the first six months of 2004, compared to 593 for all of last year.
Jacques Revah, the charge d'affaires of the Israeli Embassy in Paris, said that Sharon's remarks were misunderstood and taken out of context.
Arutz-7's David Shapira, an expert on French-Israeli relations, agreed that Sharon's public remarks were "out of order," especially in light of the fact that the French government is fighting anti-Semitism. He acknowledged that France is currently undergoing a wave of increasing anti-Semitism, but said that this alone would not give a boost to Aliyah from France. Jewish immigration to Israel from France during the first six months of 2004 has been higher than average, continuing a mild upswing over the past 2-3 years.
The French Embassy's press office told Arutz-7 that Israel and France have been searching for a number of months for an acceptable date for a visit by Sharon to France. The spokesperson said that the search has now been suspended.
In a speech on Sunday, Sharon reacted to increasing anti-Semitism in France by citing the country's "wild anti-Semitism" and urging French Jews to move to Israel "before it's too late." Sharon has consistently called for Aliyah - Jewish immigration to Israel - from all over the world, and has said that Aliyah is his government's main priority. French officials reacted almost immediately: The Foreign Ministry issued a terse statement calling Sharon's remarks "unacceptable," while Jean-Louis Debre, president of France's lower house of Parliament, said that they were "inadmissible, unacceptable and, furthermore, irresponsible."
AP reports that the latest French Interior Ministry figures show 510 anti-Jewish acts or threats in the first six months of 2004, compared to 593 for all of last year.
Jacques Revah, the charge d'affaires of the Israeli Embassy in Paris, said that Sharon's remarks were misunderstood and taken out of context.
Arutz-7's David Shapira, an expert on French-Israeli relations, agreed that Sharon's public remarks were "out of order," especially in light of the fact that the French government is fighting anti-Semitism. He acknowledged that France is currently undergoing a wave of increasing anti-Semitism, but said that this alone would not give a boost to Aliyah from France. Jewish immigration to Israel from France during the first six months of 2004 has been higher than average, continuing a mild upswing over the past 2-3 years.