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NEWS
Hundreds Gather at Vandalized Cemetery in France
By S. Fried
Six hundred people gathered at a Jewish cemetery in
Herlscheim, located in the area formerly known as Alsace, to
protest the vandalizing of the cemetery last week as well as
the increasing incidence of antisemitism in France. The
gatherers recited Kaddish and lit 127 candles, matching the
number of graves that were desecrated.
The Union d'Etudiants Juifs de France, the student group
responsible for organizing the protest gathering, called on
the French public to "demonstrate vigilance in the face of
antisemitic acts and to struggle against the threat of
desensitization these acts entail." At the gathering were
young representatives of the large political parties and
Herlscheim residents who came to condemn the act.
The cemetery was vandalized one day after the close of a
conference on antisemitism held in Berlin by the European
Organization for Security and Cooperation where decisions
were reached regarding practical measures in the battle
against antisemitism. French Interior Minister Dominique de
Villepen called Roger Cukierman, who chairs CRIF, the
umbrella group for the Jewish communities of France. French
Prime Minister Jacques Chirac expressed outrage following the
incident, describing it as "shocking and contemptible." The
French President also denounced the act.
The words "Jews out!" "Victory to the Fuhrer!" and "Adolph
Hitler," as well as the date of his suicide, April 30, 1945,
were spray-painted on some of the gravestones.
French police announced progress has been made in the
investigation, which indicates "several suspects" took part
in the act. No arrests were reported.
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