The return of Jew-hatred
TOULOUSE, Brussels, Paris and now Copenhagen. The list of European cities where Jews have lately been murdered for being Jews grows longer. It adds poignancy that this should happen in Denmark, which saved most of its Jews from the Nazis by helping them flee to Sweden. There are many smaller outrages, such as the desecration of Jewish graves. And what to make of Roland Dumas, a former French foreign minister, who claims that Manuel Valls, the prime minister, acts under “Jewish influence” because his wife is Jewish? No wonder Jews in Europe ask themselves questions they hoped had been banished long ago: is it safe to wear a kippah (skullcap), send one’s children to Jewish schools or attend synagogue? And, given the rise of populist and far-right groups, is it time to leave Europe (see article )? Such worries are understandable, but they need to be put in context. The shooting at the Great Synagogue on Krystalgade does not herald another Kristallnacht. Jews are targets, but so