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Published on 26 June 2020

European Jewish Congress - Antisemitic chants at anti-racist march in Paris shows how worthy cause is being hijacked to spread hate

European Jewish Congress (EJC) President Dr. Moshe Kantor called on anti-racist marchers and organisers to ensure that antisemitism is not being adopted by some within their ranks, after large groups of marchers at a rally in Paris’s Place de la République on Saturday shouted antisemitic slogans like “dirty Jew”.

Published on June 14, in European Jewish Congress website

“The people who claim to march against hate and racism while shouting violent antisemitic statements are hypocrites and acting against the worthy cause of the majority,” Dr. Kantor said. “They are trying to hijack the justifiable anger and hurt of anti-racist demonstrators.”

“They have shown that they would rather sabotage an important rally for their own hate, displaying their true colours and showing their priorities. They are not anti-hate or anti-racist, they are just antisemites and the authorities should deal with them as people who incite to violence.”

In recent days, as demonstrations and marches have taken place across the world in protest against racism and police brutality in the US, small minorities have used it as an excuse to target Jews and Jewish institutions.

“As people with a history of oppression and discrimination, the Jewish people stand shoulder to shoulder with the black community,” Dr. Kantor said. “There can be no distractions from this central point.”

“Unfortunately, there are those who are using this as an opportunity to spread hate and conspiracy theories about Jews in the hope of swaying the masses against the Jewish community. This is not a time for division, it is a time for unity and solidarity, and anyone who tries to divide and isolate one minority community should be removed from the anti-racist rallies, events and organisations.”