French Jews Flee to Israel

 As antisemitism soars, the Jews in France, and any other place where Muslims abound, are looking to move to Israel.

PARIS — Freddo Pachter says that in his 17 years coordinating the immigration of French speakers to Israel, he has never seen such high demand — and that includes after events such as the Hyper Cacher supermarket terror attack, the jihadist murders by Mohammed Merah, and the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

The number of requests from French Jews has continued to rise since October 7, reflecting the climate of fear, says Pachter, who started working for the Aliyah and Integration Ministry in 2007 and now directs the Lekh-Lekha program for the organization Israel is Forever, which provides advice and assistance for French-speaking immigrants to Israel.

“Some people tell me that they are afraid of being in France because they are Jewish, and they took down their mezuzahs,” Pachter says, referring to the parchment scrolls affixed to the doorposts of many Jewish homes. “It’s unbearable to live like that, to hide any sign of Judaism when no one is ashamed to say that they are Christian or Muslim.”

On October 7, thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed the border with Israel under the cover of heavy rocket fire, brutally murdering 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 240 more to the Gaza Strip, where 132 are still being held — not all of them alive. In the wake of the massacre, Israel launched an ongoing military campaign aimed at retrieving the hostages and ousting Hamas from power in the Strip.

The onslaught also set off a violent wave of anti-Israel activity around the globe, with Jews spanning the Diaspora reporting an alarming rise in antisemitic hate crimes often accompanied by anti-Israel messages.

In December, several events were organized in France aimed at providing information and advice for those who wish to relocate to Israel. Gatherings in Paris, Marseille and Lyon each drew hundreds of attendees, some of whom had to travel to get there.

Beyond the increase in demand, Pachter also observed a change in the profile of the people he met during these meetings.

“Usually we see people who are experiencing professional or social difficulty, who have been fired or want to change fields. But this time we had engineers, doctors and lawyers,” says Freddo, who believes this can be attributed to the increase in antisemitic hate crimes in France. “These are no longer people who leave France for financial problems — their lives in France would be more comfortable.”

Pachter’s observation is more than just a hunch — the Aliyah and Integration Ministry has recorded a 430 percent increase in the number of applications from France since the October 7 onslaught. A number of French Jews confirmed to The Times of Israel that they no longer feel safe in France and feel compelled to hide their kippah or other outward signs of Judaism for fear of being targeted.

“I can no longer see myself living in France with everything that is happening. I am afraid every day for my children, it is no longer a life,” says one mother who lives in Paris and requested to remain anonymous for her own safety.

“October 7 changed everything. I would never have imagined thinking of leaving France for Israel. It may seem paradoxical given the situation in Israel, but at least there we will not have to hide,” says another anonymous French Jewish woman who is seriously considering leaving France in the coming months.

Here;  'I'm afraid every day for my children': As antisemitism soars, French Jews flee to Israel | The Times of Israel

One could certainly view this article with prophetic eyes because God is using this persecution of Jews all over the world to bring the Jews back to the Holy Land.  Many Jews won't go because their lives are too comfortable in France, Germany and USA.  That has changed drastically since October 7 and I'm guessing that as the war escalates into Lebanon and Hezbollah there will be more calls for the death of Jews.  "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!"  Of course Bible readers know this is a call to all the Jew haters who dream of a day when no Jews will live between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean sea...which is calling for the genocide of Jews.