Fear Rising In European Jewish Communities

Luke 19:43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.

Jews in Europe say the attack on a Kosher market in Paris is increasing fears for their security.

Jews interviewed by the Associated Press also mentioned attacks on a Belgian Jewish museum and a Jewish school in southwestern France as other instances that are influencing Jews to consider immigrating to Israel.

“The European Jewry is the oldest European minority and we have our experience of surviving under all possible circumstances,” Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, told The Associated Press. “We will not give up our motherland, which is called Europe. We will not stop the history of European Jewry, that is for sure.”

Many civic leaders in Europe are calling for Jews to stay in their home countries rather than taking their culture and civic influence to Israel.  However, many are ignoring the call.  Over 7,000 French Jews immigrated to Israeli last year as anti-Semitism continued to rise.

One of the survivors of the shooting at the kosher grocery isn’t waiting to leave France.

“On Monday I am going to make Aliyah,” survivor Yohan Cohen said, using the Hebrew term for immigration to Israel. “We are not going to wait around here to die.”

Jews say they have to take their own security measures including not speaking Hebrew outside their homes or synagogues.  Areas that have a high concentration of Jewish residents are hiring their own security forces to patrol the area.

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