Around 250 Jewish graves were recently vandalized in France.
Tombstones were pushed over, graffitied with swastikas and Nazi propaganda.
This follows the recent Paris attacks where four Jews were killed at a grocery store.
Some experts have noted that racially motivated attacks are on the rise in France.
So is France anti-semitic?
Well, according to a recent report by the Council of Europe, the French are becoming
more racist and intolerant towards ethnic and religious minorities including both Muslims
and Jews.
The Council’s commissioner for human rights, notes that the number of anti-Semitic acts
doubled in the first half of 2014.
The Jewish community in France is centuries old.
Numbering approximately 500 thousand, France actually has the largest Jewish population
in Europe.
Despite all that history, the number of Jews leaving France since 2012 has tripled, possibly
due to what French Prime Minister Manuel Valls calls the new anti-semitism.1
So what’s the reason behind the rising intolerance?
To find the answer some experts are looking at the small town of Sarcelles.
Like many suburban towns on the outskirts of Paris, Sarcelles is a melting pot of ethnicities.
Home to both Jewish and Muslim immigrant communities, who have lived in peace for decades.
That is until recently.
Racial tensions lie just beneath the surface in Sarcelles.
Last year, pro-Palestinian protests in the town spiralled out of control.
Before-long, the protests turned into a full blown riot.
While local residents still get along for the most part, some observers have noted that
the arrival of radicalised Islamic ideas from North Africa and the Middle East have impacted
the community.
It is thought that young muslims feel alienated from French society, leaving them vulnerable
to radicalization.
Experts suggest that France’s growing youth unemployment, especially within immigrant
communities, coupled with a rise in islamic intolerance, might be to blame.
France isn’t the only nation in Europe that has seen a rise in racial tensions.
But after the Paris attacks and the Council of Europe report, all eyes are on the nation
to be the first to address the issue.
If you want to learn about how so many muslims ended up in France in the first place, check
out this fantastic video from our brand new sister show Seeker Daily.
Thanks for watching!