21 November 2006
The umbrella group of French Jewish organizations, CRIF, has held a conference on the state of French Jewry. Speakers at the plenary included the philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, who told a crowded amphitheater that even if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were settled, it would not end radical Islamic terrorism. In a discussion on France, speakers were very critical of increasing violence in the French public school system. It was noted that in many suburbs of Paris, few Jewish young people still attend public school because of violence or threats of violence, mainly from African and North African Arab students. Jewish parents have placed their children in private Jewish schools, many of which were established in the past few years. Community members attending the convention also discussed 2007 elections.
