France’s Jewish community alarmed by antisemitism, recent election results
By:  Howard Flower, ICEJ Aliyah Director

Following the surprise success of leftist parties known for their antisemitic views in the recent French national elections, the Jewish community in France is increasingly anxious over their future in the country, and many Jews now realize the time has clearly come to make Aliyah to Israel. In response, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has committed to bringing more French Jews home on Aliyah flights to Israel over coming weeks.

The New Popular Front (NPF), a left-wing alliance featuring Jean-Luc Mélenchon and his “France Unbowed” party, made shocking gains in the second round of French voting last weekend, leaving them as the largest bloc in the new national assembly. Mélenchon, the country’s most prominent far-left politician, is notorious for his antisemitic remarks, celebrating anti-Israel protests, and his recent vow to recognize a Palestinian state.

The impact of the elections on many French Jews was immediate, as within 48 hours after Sunday’s vote, there was a dramatic surge in immigration files being opened with the Jewish Agency office in Paris.

“It is clear today that there is no future for Jews in France,” Chief Rabbi Moshe Sebbag of the Grand Synagogue of Paris said on Monday, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. “I tell everyone who is young to go to Israel for a more secure country.”

“People and parties entered the French Parliament who support Hamas and antisemitism,” added Knesset Member Oded Forer, chairman of the immigration committee in Israel’s parliament. “There is an important and dear Jewish community in France, and this is its time to make Aliyah to Israel… Within this threat, there is an opportunity to see a renewed return to Zion, and to rebuild what our enemies are trying to destroy.”

France is facing an alarming spike in antisemitism that requires Christians to act. In 2024, we have witnessed a major surge in antisemitic attacks in France, with a 1,100% increase following the October 7 Hamas terror invasion. In public schools, Jewish students are facing physical abuse, Nazi apologia, and vicious insults. This all underscores the urgent need for French Jews to finally come home to Israel.

“Some 68% of French Jews report they don’t feel safe, so they’re looking for different options,” said Ariel Kandel, CEO of Qualita, an umbrella group for French immigrants in Israel. “The US and Canada were also options in the past, but many see the situation for Jews there has changed since October 7, and now think Israel is the true home of the Jewish people. People are looking for belonging, and Israel provides that for them.”

Studies show that 38% of French Jews are considering to make Aliyah, which translates to roughly 200,000 people. Kandel noted that as many as 60,000 French Jews may be ready to move to Israel right now.

Recent data submitted by the Jewish Agency to the Knesset’s Aliyah Committee revealed that in its 2024 forecast, France’s projected Aliyah numbers ranged from 3,000 to 3,500, a marked increase from the 1,100 olim (newcomers) last year. But those numbers are now expected to swell in the wake of the troubling election results.

At the halfway mark of 2024, the Jewish Agency estimates that the total Aliyah figures for this year could be up to 37,600, which would be a good year, especially given the ongoing war in Gaza. The Ministry of Immigration and Integration reports that 16,414 olim have arrived in Israel so far this year, including 506 from France.

The Christian Embassy sponsored Aliyah flights for 100 of these new French Jewish immigrants this spring and has already provided funds to fly another 100 Jews from Paris and Marseilles during July and August. And we expect to bring at least 100 more this autumn.

“We have seen a very large trend of renewal of Aliyah files, as a kind of insurance policy by Jews around the world, so that whenever they want they can make Aliyah to Israel,” explained Shay Felber of the Jewish Agency. “We are prepared to give a response to the high demand for immigration to Israel from France and around the world.”

As Jews return to their ancestral homeland – whether driven by Zionism, economic factors, or antisemitism – it reflects the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Indeed, they are coming back to be planted in the Land of Israel, never to be uprooted again.

“’I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them,’ says the Lord your God.” (Amos 9:15)

Please partner with the ICEJ by supporting Jewish families embarking on their Aliyah journey from France and other countries worldwide. Together, we can make a meaningful impact, helping them embrace a future of hope and promise in the Land of their forefathers.

Donate today at: give.icej.org/aliyah

Main photo: JAFI