President Francois Mitterrand is expected to attend a ceremony on Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of the terrorist attack in Rue des Rosiers in the old Jewish quarter of this city during which six people were killed and more than 20 were wounded. Elysee sources said Mitterrand plans to personally pay tribute to the victims of the ceremony which will be held outside Jo Goldenberg’s restaurant, where the attack took place.
The ceremony is being organized by the Representative Council of Major French Jewish Organizations (CRIF) whose president, Theo Klein, said that such a commemoration is necessary to help prevent a possible renewal of terrorism and racist attacks. Most French political parties and major non-Jewish organizations also plan to be represented at the ceremony.
FINDINGS OF AN OPINION POLL
According to a recent public opinion poll, an overwhelming majority of French people believe that another anti-Semitic attack, similar to the one in the Rue des Rosiers, could take place. Of those polled, 88 percent said such an attack can take place at any time and 55 percent said France is the likeliest terrorist target in Western Europe.
The poll, published in today’s edition of Le Journal de Dimanche, found that 27 percent of those interviewed believe that the Arab states sometimes encourage the terrorists and nine percent felt that Israeli actions spark terrorist reprisals. The poll was carried out to mark the anniversary of the Rue des Rosiers attack.
MAUROY HAS JEWISH MEAL AT GOLDENBERG’S
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pierre Mauroy showed up Friday at Goldenberg’s restaurant together with a half dozen of his closest aides for a traditional Jewish meal complete with gefilte fish, chopped liver and the special of the day, “goldene yoich,” chicken soup.
Mauroy said his visit to the restaurant was not just a gastronomic outing but a symbolic gesture “to show that terrorism cannot stop traditional Jewish activities and that life goes on unimpaired (in the old Jewish quarter).” After the meal, the Premier walked along the Rue des Rosiers shaking hands with the local inhabitants and assuring them that the government is doing all it can to protect them.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
