Anti-Semitism in France

A rather disturbing article in this morning's New York Times -- echoes of Germany in the 1920s and '30s. And it seems what measures are being taken are too little, too late:

France's education ministry last month launched a campaign to stamp out anti-Semitism and other types of racism in schools. Education Minister Luc Ferry acknowledged that verbal insults are becoming common.

"There is a real danger — all the greater because today anti-Semitism is of a new type, coming from parts of society that are more acceptable than the extreme right: from Arabs and Muslims," Mr. Ferry said on state radio last month.

I'm still not quite sure how to interpret that "more acceptable", but perhaps it is an infelicitous translation.

He introduced 10 measures to combat the problem, including the creation of a monitoring committee in Paris, the appointment of a team of mediators for the worst cases and the publication of a booklet to be distributed around schools.

Mediators? Reminiscent of the soft-headed approach to bullying I experienced as a boy, where bully and victim were brought into an office to "talk out their differences" ("Well, it seems you want to beat me up, and I don't want to be beaten up. I guess we'll have to compromise and you'll just slap me around a bit, OK?"). Apparently protecting the victims and punishing their attackers would be an unacceptably simplistic approach.

Posted by David on March 22, 2003 11:10 AM