More Jews fleeing France over skyrocketing anti-Semitism, locals & researchers say
Submitted by IWB, on May 31st, 2016
VIOLENT protests and crippling strikes across France threaten to dent the country’s economic recovery and plunge the eurozone into crisis.
With just 10 days to go until Euro 2016, the fierce backlash against government labour market reforms are also threatening to cause chaos during the football tournament.
Rail workers today began another nationwide strike and Paris Metro employees have also staged a walkout.
At the same time, oil worker strikes have shut six of France’s eight refineries.
Yesterday Air France pilots also voted to go on strike.
President Francois Hollande is desperately trying to boost France’s stagnating economy by making it easier for firm’s to fire and hire workers as part of employment reforms.
Unemployment across France is stuck at 10 per cent, and President Hollande hopes the changes will incentivise more firms to recruit employees.
But unions and workers across eurozone’s second biggest economy are strongly resisting change.
The leader has refused to back down over the labour bill.
Hollande is desperately trying to claw back stable economy after seeing only a three per cent growth in economy since the financial crash in 2008. This compares with the UK which has grown 10 per cent.
The poor performance led Hollande to declare France was in a state of economic emergency at the start of the year.
More Jews fleeing France over skyrocketing anti-Semitism, locals & researchers say
Jewish families are rapidly leaving France over growing anti-Semitism tensions. Locals and researchers agree that over the last 15 years, half of French Jews have fled the country.
The Seine-Saint-Denis department of Paris is indicative of this trend.
“Until the years 2000-2005, the town was nice and quiet, with 250 to 300 Jewish families and synagogues full on the Sabbath. Now, only about a hundred Jewish families remain,” local resident Alain Benhamou told AFP.
The local Jewish population is increasingly becoming internal refugees or quitting France altogether.