The trial of two Moslem policemen charged with shouting anti-Semitic remarks in a shooting attack seriously wounding several Jews in Paris was postponed this weekend until January because one of the policemen disappeared.
The two policemen, known as Harkis, broke into a cafe last July, shouting “dirty Jewish dogs” and shooting at the patrons. One of the victims was invalided by the bullet wounds. The case has become a major issue among French Jews with various organizations having registered protests. The French chief of police promised to curtail such incidents and assure severe punishment of the culprits.
The defendant who failed to appear for trial had been released on light bail. Police said he could not be traced. Attorneys for the Jewish victims implied that authorities had abetted the policeman’s disappearance to Algeria and demanded that he be returned in time for the trial in January.
The harkis have been a highly controversial unit since they were organized two years ago to deal with Moslems in Paris sympathetic to the Algerian rebels. Many residents of Paris, Jews and non-Jews alike, have protested both against their highhanded methods in chasing their compatriots and against their indiscriminate use of their authority.
Meanwhile, the Jewish Consistory here reported today that to the best of its knowledge, no synagogues were desecrated or otherwise damaged during the recent Algerian demonstrations in Paris. The statement followed an Israeli report that a Paris synagogue had been vandalized by the demonstrators.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
