French authorities have recorded 298 anti-Semitic acts so far this year. The great majority of them remain unsolved, Justice Minister Dominique Perben has told Grand Rabbi Joseph Sitruk. Official figures show that of 298 acts recorded between January 1 and August 20, 162 took the form of damage to property, such as graffiti or arson, 69 were breaches of media laws, in the shape of the publication of anti-Semitic images or remarks, and in 67 cases, physical or verbal attacks were committed. In four out of five cases, those perpetrators have not been identified yet. Some are still being investigated, while in other cases inquiries were dropped when it became clear there was little chance that the perpetrators would be found. Only 59 cases could be resolved so far. In a further 13, no action was taken, while proceedings continued in the other 46.
After his meeting with Perben, Sitruk said he had been reassured by the will of the Justice Minister to improve the judicial system, but added that the real problem was the attitude of French society. The fight against anti-Semitism should be a priority, he pointed out. France had always been a safe country for Jews would hopefully remain one.
