NEW YORK / PARIS – The president of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) on Thursday praised the French government, and in particular Interior Minister Manuel Valls, for taking strong action against the anti-Semitic comedian Dieudonné M’bala M’bala. “France has no choice but to confront this preacher of hate head on,” Lauder declared.
“Unfortunately, Dieudonné has attracted a considerable following among young people. His aggressive, undisguised hatred for Jews and for Israel manifests itself in every one of his shows, and attempts to stop that ought to be supported by all democratic forces,” the WJC president said, adding: “Minister Manuel Valls is right: This is a political battle and not just a legal one. We must not let these intolerable statements go unanswered."
World Jewish Congress Vice-President Roger Cukierman, the president of the French Jewish umbrella organization CRIF, said: "French Jews will continue to oppose all manifestations of hatred and anti-Semitism. We must not relent in the fight against those who defame us, and we urge French citizens to come out strongly in every city where there are gatherings of Dieudonné M’bala M’bala, which are an insult to France.”
