FRENCH PRIME MINISTER AT CRIF'S ANNUAL DINNER:

Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said, "I would like to thank you, dear Roger Cukierman, for the commitment, dedication, passion and frankness with which you carried out your duties throughout these last years. (…)"

"I want to greet the spirit of solidarity of the community of the Jews of France. (…)"

"We must continue, on and on, to struggle against the plague of anti-Semitism.

There is no place in France for religious hatred or racism. That is why we shall pursue our struggle up to the end. (…)"

"This fight against hatred and violence, France has the duty to lead it also outside its borders. (…)"

"This is true when the comments of certain leaders raise a legitimate indignation. I condemn without any reserve and with the strongest vigor the unacceptable comments of the Iranian president on the Shoah, as well as the organization in Teheran, in December, 2006, of a conference on the Holocaust opened to negationist theses. They are an insult for the memory of the victims and their families as well as for the honor of the international community. They are an aggression towards the State of Israel. They are a threat on the stability and the peace in this fragile region. (…)"

"Facing these threats, Israel can count on France. (…)"

"We share the legitimate concerns of Israel in front of the Iranian president's unacceptable statements and calls to hatred. (…)"

"Iran pursues a program of (uranium) enrichment which arouses legitimate international concern. Our objective is to bring Iran to abide by its international commitments: we cannot accept an Iran equipped with a military nuclear capacity. In close coordination with the other Europeans, the Americans, the Russians and the Chinese, we presented ambitious propositions this summer in Teheran. In front of the Iranian refusal to accept this offer by suspending its activities of (uranium) enrichment, we took our responsibilities. (…)"

Earlier, CRIF's President Roger Cukierman addressed Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin:

"Honourable Prime Minister,

Madam and former Prime Minister,

Honourable President of the Senate,

Honourable President of the National Assembly,