New York, NY, October 16, 2000 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed outrage at the growing wave of anti-Semitism in France with attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites, and called on French officials to "take a more public role in denouncing the attacks."

"We are outraged by continuing assaults on Jewish houses of worship and other sites in France. While President Chirac has condemned the violence, government and local authorities must take a more public role in denouncing the attacks," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "These are more than just heat-of-the-moment crimes as a result of tension in the Middle East. These are hate crimes that have a devastating impact on entire communities, while re-opening deep wounds for the Jewish people. These crimes must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

"The hostility to Jews in France calls for the most emphatic response by authorities on all levels. This recent wave of anti-Semitic violence threatens not only Jews, but the very values and political principles that France, as a nation and member of the European Community, is bound to uphold."

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.