EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION: CRIF KEEPS MUM

French President Jacques Chirac could have chosen to have the French Parliament vote on whether or not France should approve the Constitution. Instead, President Chirac chose the way of the referendum in order to involve each and every citizen in this crucial choice for the future of the Union.

Political analysts say this was a mistake, because the French will not answer the question about the Constitution but will take advantage of the poll to express their feelings about the current government. Hence, what was supposed to be a vote in support of the Union may well prove to be a political disaster for the French President and his government.

CRIF decided not to take sides. Haim Musicant, CRIF's Director General, said to the French Jewish weekly "Actualite Juive", "We did have internal discussions over the issue but we do not intend to make them public. It is up to each citizen to decide for himself."

It is CRIF's constant policy to avoid any statement regarding political polls, except to call on Jews not to vote for extremist parties like Jean-Marie Le Pen's racist and anti-Semitic National Front and like the tiny Trotskyite violently anti-Zionist parties. Political analysts noted that both extremes will vote together next Sunday against the European Constitution.