In the media coverage of the terror attacks that rocked France, killing 17 people – five of them Jews – at Charlie Hebdo magazine and a kosher grocery store in Paris, some key facts have been distorted. Here are eight myths that have evolved about the attacks – and the truth behind them.
1. Myth: Paris’ Great Synagogue closed on the Shabbat after the attacks – the first time it shut its doors since World War Two.
Fact: The media got it wrong. Paris Great Synagogue – the Grande Synagogue de la Victoire opened for Friday night Shabbat services only hours after a siege at a kosher grocery store in Paris left four Jews dead and others seriously wounded – and remained open throughout Shabbat. Amid heightened security, the Synagogue welcomed more worshippers than any time in recent memory, as Paris’ Jews flocked to synagogue to express their solidarity.
2. Myth: France and other nations won’t bow to terror threats after the horrific attacks in Paris.
Fact: On Sunday, January 18, less than two weeks after the Paris terror attacks, French and German authorities cancelled anti-Islamist rallies. The groups planning these rallies are considered offensive and racist – but the demonstrations weren’t cancelled because of the unsavory character of their organizers: they were cancelled due to fear of further terror attacks after police received information that attacks were imminent.
3. Myth: As French President Francoise Hollande welcomed world leaders to the massive anti-terror solidarity march in Paris on Sunday, January 11, 2015 – which brought millions of people to the French capital to protest the terror attacks there – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a welcome presence as a fellow head-of-state whose country has also been rocked by major terror attacks.
Fact: President Hollande sent a private message to Netanyahu’s office before the march, asking the Israeli prime minster not to come: Pres. Hollande’s staff said he feared Netanyahu’s presence would be divisive and divert attention away from France’s attacks. Netanyahu insisted on flying to France for the rally without an invitation, but Hollande’s anger was palpable. An invitation to attend the march was hastily extended to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas too. When Hollande and Netanyahu attended a memorial service at Paris’ Grand Synagogue following the march, Hollande got up and left his seat when Netanyahu began speaking.
4. Myth: The entire world recognizes that the attacks were carried out by French nationals who were radicalized in French prisons, and received training from Islamist extremist groups in the Middle East. On Monday, January 19, 2015 Belgium’s Justice Minister announced they were hunting for Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a Belgian national suspected of being the “ringleader” of the attacks.
Fact: In the days after the attacks, a host of prominent media outlets and individuals have accused Israel of conducting the attacks. The International Business Times ran a piece speculating that Israel might have masterminded the attacks – then apologized, admitting the story was below their usual standard of journalism. Others peddling this myth haven’t apologized: Ankara’s long-time Mayor Melih Gokcek stated “it is certain” that Israel organized the attacks to stir-up anti-Islam sentiment; the founders of the Free Gaza Movement tweeted that Israel might be behind the attack and “time will tell” ; newspapers such as Tunisia Times, the Egyptian paper Al Dostor ran articles alleging Israel was behind the attacks; Jordanian news site Rawafed News alleged it was French Jews; and in interviews on the streets of Paris, the idea that Jews were somehow behind the attacks was a commonly believed theme among some segments of disaffected youth. A recent poll found that 14% of French people felt the attack against Jews in the kosher grocery store was “understandable” and 16% of those polled in France believed in Zionist conspiracy theories.
5. Myth: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who marched alongside French President Francoise Hollande at Paris’ massive anti-terror rally, unequivocally condemned the attacks.
Fact: Hamas, which is part of Mahmoud Abbas’ Unity Government, condemned the massacre at Charlie Hebdo magazine – but fell short of condemning the massacre two days later at the kosher grocery story, as well. Later, Hamas briefly posted praise of the three terrorists on its official website, showing their pictures with the caption “the shahidim (martyrs) who were dispatched by G-d, the heroes of the raid in Paris”. Hamas security agents also made a rare exception on Monday, January 19, 2015 and allowed their political rivals, jihadi Salafi activists, to stage a public protest in support of the French terror attacks and ISIS outside the French Cultural Center in Gaza. Hamas officials stood guard as protestors burned a French flag and called for further violence.
6. Myth: The four victims of the kosher grocery store massacre – Yoav Hattab, Philippe Braham, Yohan Cohen and Francois-Michel Saada – were buried in Jerusalem for personal reasons, or because of their affinity with the Jewish state.
Fact: While the victims’ families do indeed have strong ties to Israel, at least part of the reason they were buried there was due to fears their graves would be desecrated in France, according to Serge Cwajgenbaum, Secretary General of the European Jewish Congress.
This fear has been rising for year, as desecrations of Jewish cemeteries, like other anti-Jewish acts, has soared. In 2007, the mother of Ilan Halimi, a young Jewish man who was abducted in Paris by Muslim anti-Semites, held prisoner for weeks, tortured and eventually killed in 2006 had his body exhumed and reburied in Israel – because she was afraid locals would come and “spit on his grave” in France. The four victims of the 2012 Toulouse school shooting – in which a rabbi, his 3 and 5 year old children, and an 8 year old girl were murdered at a Jewish school by a radical Islamist – were also buried in Israel.
7. Myth: Following the attacks in Paris, Jewish institutions are ramping up security to minimize the threat of terror attacks.
Fact: While 5000 police and soldiers have been deployed to Jewish institutions in France, many Jewish sites lack funding to for comprehensive new security. In the days since the Paris attacks, grave new threats have emerged against Jewish schools in Europe: on Friday, January 16, 2015, Jewish schools in Belgium and the Netherlands closed because of fear of imminent attacks.
8. Myth: The massacre at the kosher grocery store in eastern Paris was the only terror attack against a Jewish target in Paris that week.
Fact: On Thursday, January 8, 2015, the day after the Charlie Hebdo massacre, 25-year old police officer Clarissa Jean-Phillipe was shot to death in the southern Paris neighborhood of Montrouge, mere yards from the Yaguel Yaacov Jewish school and the Montrouge Synagogue. Amid the panic in Paris that week, her death at the time failed to garner much attention. It later emerged that Officer Jean-Phillipe was murdered by Amedy Coulibaly, who the next day murdered four Jews – and wounded others – as they shopped for Shabbat at a kosher grocery store. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve later said French officials had “a very strong presumption” that Coulibaly was on his way to the school to carry out an attack.
(12) Anonymous, January 22, 2015 7:46 AM
Myth 4 drastically overstated
Since when are Tunisia Times, the Egyptian paper Al Dostor and the Jordanian news site Rawafed News "prominent media outlets"? Or Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek a prominent individual? When was the last time any of those media outlets published anything that drew interest more than five miles from its base? How many Turks outside Ankara (widely regarded in the national population center, Istanbul, as an unsophisticated backwater) much less residents of nations bordering Turkey, have even heard of Gokcek?
Certainly there is a clear and present danger from well-known and clearly defined groups, ranging from extremist Islamic jihadis far outside the Muslim mainstream to old-line unreconstructed neo-Nazis. Still, if the sources described in the article are indeed the worst of the myth spreaders and hate mongers targeting Israel and the Jewish people, we've got a lot less to worry about than this article suggests.
Miriam, January 22, 2015 12:18 PM
Dear Anonymous,
You are in denial.
F Callen, January 22, 2015 4:46 PM
They are prominent in their countries. The myth is that "the entire world condemned". It didn't and doesn't. Many are cheering.
Anonymous, January 23, 2015 7:25 PM
you're misquoting
F Callen: Where did Ms. Miller refer to anything that "the entire world condemned"? She didn't. You are putting words into her mouth. Vive la France. Vive la Françoise.
Regina, January 22, 2015 10:34 PM
I agree
Mr or Ms Anonymous, I agree with Miriam - YOU ARE IN DENIAL.
Pantagruel, January 23, 2015 2:42 AM
Anonymous is correct
"The entire world" recognizes that the attackers were French nationals? Humph!! I'll bet a lot of people in this world are convinced that Jews did it. If the Jews were able to implement 9/11 (and manage to pin the blame on Islamic terrorists), why wouldn't they have been able to carry out the killings in Paris?
But Anonymous is not "in denial," Miriam. He/she is simply pointing out that the writer brings second-rate evidence to support her point.
By the way, the president of France is François Hollande. Françoise is a female name. (See myth #3.)
Regina, January 23, 2015 5:12 PM
Pathetic
Pantagruel, you are clearly addicted to LIES.
You might want to clear up your hate and anger BEFORE IT KILLS YOU.
AM YISROEL CHAI.
Michele Montaigne, January 25, 2015 3:08 AM
Positron
Regina, Addiction is bad, especially *to* lies. However, I don't see anyone *telling* lies.
Am Yisroel chai, and vive la Françoise.
Anonymous, January 23, 2015 5:15 PM
Poisonous
And if you think you are going to gain any traction by posting your garbage here ON A JEWISH WEBSITE, you can go to h*ll.
We Jews know who we are and what our people have brought and continue to bring to the world And it's all GOOD.
If you hate Jews/Israel so much, then throw out your cell phone , pentium chipped computer and MORE: ALL CREATED IN ISRAEL.
AM YISROEL CHAI
Hank Wallace, January 25, 2015 2:45 PM
Pantagruel defends Jews
Regina & Anonymous: Pantagruel deplores the libel that Jews did the 9/11 and Paris attacks and he deplores the fact that "a lot of people in this world are convinced that Jews did [the Paris attacks]."
I respect you for rushing to defend the Jewish people. But I don’t see that you need to defend them from Pantagruel.
Eva Rammer, January 23, 2015 7:20 PM
Madame President
Maybe Pantagruel is thinking of the prime minister, who is a man if not a manuel. Isn't the president of France named Françoise? The writer says so.
(11) Anonymous, January 21, 2015 3:15 PM
Great!
Great article! Thanks for posting this!
(10) Jürgen, January 21, 2015 8:20 AM
Gruesome attacks
It fills my heart with grief at the pain delivered by the gruesome attacks in Paris. I could cry about the injustice done to the jewish people and all people who say what is right and just. Obviously humanity is not a common value anymore.The article needs to be spread and discussed.widely.
(9) Catrina, January 21, 2015 5:59 AM
Speak Up!
Since reading Yvette Alt Miller's previous article "Blaming Jews for the Paris Attacks" , I've begun posting comments after articles (or post-article comments) that blame Israel/Jews for any given disaster . I've always spoken up in person , but the blogosphere seemed hopeless to me because the bigotry is ubiquitous , obsessive and so deranged . But if nobody calls them on it , it stands unchallenged .
Anonymous, January 22, 2015 10:36 PM
Bravo, Catrina!
We must SPEAK OUT, and LOUDLY. Your voice can and will be heard in the "blogosphere" - just tell the TRUTH and leave the "distribution" to GD.
(8) ursula, January 21, 2015 1:50 AM
Je suis juif
(7) Bro. Nick Nicholas, January 20, 2015 7:56 PM
Correction in Fact #6
I think that the following should be - '... in 2006 had his body exhumed and reburied in ISRAEL – '
.
Every nation should know - but can not, and will continue to suffer the consequences of their individual and/or countries hatred of ISRAEL and the JEWISH people are.
Most unfortunately in my country of 'Amerika' there is a rapid increase of anti-Semitism of many kinds.
The promise made by "the Lord God Almighty" unto Abram are eternal - and my choice is to believe "the truth" that is written in "the word of the LORD":
"Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
(Genesis 12:1-3 [KJB]
.
I have and will:
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
(Psalm 122:6-7 [KJB])
- which shall come to pass!
Dvirah, January 21, 2015 5:09 PM
Thank you
Thank you.
Regina, January 25, 2015 4:27 AM
Thank you
Dear Bro. Nick Nicholas,
AMEN. You are one among the few "righteous of the nations" - may GD Bless you.
AM YISROEL CHAI.
(6) Dan, January 20, 2015 7:35 PM
Myth #9: The motivation for Islamic terror
Myth #9, perpetuated by former US President Jimmy Carter: Muslims such as the Charlie Hebdo / Hyper Cacher attackers are radicalized and driven to acts of terror because of their anger over Israel's "occupation." Fact: Muslims are involved in armed conflicts in over 20 nations around the world, not including Israel. This includes conflicts in Asia, Africa, the former Soviet Union, and the Middle East. Many of these wars and conflicts involve Muslims fighting against other Muslims. Blaming Israel is a convenient canard, but the fact is that Islamic terror is driven by an ideology of war and domination, not by any perceived injustice.
(5) sarah, January 20, 2015 6:51 PM
right to stay in France
if all of the various Jewish communities emigrate then the barbarians have won....surely this cannot be the way forward. I do not think it has got to 1930 Germany level and pray it never will so we should be alert but realistic
scott, January 23, 2015 4:30 PM
Jews who stay in diaspora are the losers
I get tired of people like this poster that seem to think that there is some merit to Jews remaining in diaspora.
Jews who leave Europe are the winners. Its just sad that they only do this to avoid persecution as opposed to doing it out of love for their people and their G*d.
I don't care how religious your diaspora community might be, it is wrong to live outside israel. Why bother with the earlocks and tzitzit when one rejects the fundamental link between the jew and the land g*d gave to us. To choose to live elswhere is spitting on g*ds gifts. Imagine if your mother set a table with all your favorite foods and you walked out to get McDonalds. What kind of son would you be? How is living in Paris or LA or Brooklyn any different when g*d has created a land tailor made for the Jewish soul.
One cannot claim a part of am Israel and pick and choose which commandments to follow.
I guess if terrorists drive Jews from Europe that's probably one of the most tragic win- win scenarios in history.
(4) Anonymous, January 20, 2015 6:06 PM
Truth
Thank you.
(3) Suzanne, January 20, 2015 5:18 PM
Thanks for this article ...
It does, indeed, clear up the myths.
(2) Basha, January 20, 2015 5:11 PM
the French need more than their perfume and soap to cover the stink of their anti-Semitism!
(1) Geoffrey L Rogg, January 20, 2015 4:53 PM
Dispelling common distortions about the situation in France.
France is suffering its share of a struggling economy that is widespread throughout the EU. Anti-semitism has and will always exist but at times like these with rampant unemployment and unbridled immigration people's frustrations are taken out on the "usual suspects" and extends to inter-communal strife between minorities how have lived in peace and harmony for decades. A positive attitude is called for along with a Jew's right to live where he chooses.