French judiciary rejects criticism by Jews for being lenient on anti-Semites

Two magistrates' unions have rejected charges by Jewish organizations that judicial lenience was encouraging anti-Semites to maintauin attacks on Jewish targets. Jewish groups have become increasingly critical of French justice because only a few cases of profanations have been solved and a prominent comedian and a radio personality accused of anti-Semitic statements have been acquitted in recent months. "It's absurd to say these things happen because judges are lax", Agnes Herzog of the Magistrates' Union is quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency. Dominique Barella, head of the USM union, which represents the majority of French judges, said that "Some religious and group authorities are losing their nerves".