Photo courtesy of Eric Fischer
There is no doubt that anti-semitic attacks are rising in Europe. After recent anti-semitic attacks in Copenhagen and Paris, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling on European Jews to emigrate to Israel. “Jews have been murdered again on European soil,” he said, adding that “Israel is your home.” Despite the rising tension many European Jews are currently feeling, European leaders are continuing to insist that Jewish people are welcome and protected in their countries. Denmark prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt proclaimed that “an attack on the Jews of Denmark is an attack on Denmark.” Though it is encouraging to see these governments show sympathy for the Jewish communities across Europe, it is easy to understand the concern these people are feeling. In Paris, synagogues, Jewish private schools, community centers, and shopping markets are completely covered with security. Denmark is now following a similar approach.
Here’s an inside look at some of the recent events:
Jan. 9 – Shooting at Kosher Supermarket in Paris
After the Charlie Hedbo attack, there was a shooting at a kosher supermarket by an Islamist extremist. The attack resulted in the death of four Jewish people, after a long hostage standoff with police. The terrifying attack resulted in a mass mourning on Israeli and French streets. “You, French people of the Jewish faith, your place is here, in your home. France is your country,” French President Francois Hollande said in a speech to mark 70 years of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. France has the largest community of Jews in Europe with roughly 550,000 people. However, Jews have been leaving France at a sharply growing rate over the past couple of years.
Feb. 15 – 10 hours of walking in Paris as a Jew– A recent video by an Israeli journalist went viral of the man, dressed in jewish clothing- with a yamaka and talis roamed the streets of Paris, in an attempt to replicate another viral video “10 hours of walking in New York as a woman.” In this video, the man recieved some anti-semitic remarks and spat on a few times. Though the video is just a small representation of this problem, it is more than enough to concern millions of people across the world.
Feb. 16 – Shooting at Synagogue in Copenhagen
Another radical Islamist was responsible for this horrifying attack in Copenhagen, Denmark last month. There were two separate shootings in Copenhagen that day, one at a lecture on free speech, and the other outside a synagogue where a Bar Mitzvah was going on. The attack was yet another scary moment for Jews in Europe, as more people were killed in these two shootings.