Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) Concerned Over Ongoing Attacks Against French Jews on Heels of This Week's Historic Opening of Wiesenthal Exhibit at UNESCO HQ in Paris

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 13, 2014) - Despite this Wednesday's opening of a historic Wiesenthal exhibit at UNESCO headquarters in Paris highlighting the history of the Jewish people, the past week has also seen three separate attacks on young Jews in the French capital. The most recent taser attack on a Jewish teen is the third incident this week and part of a growing trend of assaults against French Jews.

"The opening of the exhibit 'People, Book, Land - The 3,500 Year Relationship of the Jewish People with the Holy Land' at UNESCO headquarters in Paris was a remarkable and historic occasion that was marred by the recent spate of attacks against Jewish citizens of France," noted FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo, who met with French President François Hollande at the exhibit opening. "Jews have been threatened, intimidated, beaten and killed in France - simply because they are Jews, and the situation continues to deteriorate as the hatred increases. As antisemitic activity reaches levels not seen since World War II, it is sad but unsurprising that 75% of French Jews are considering emigrating to Israel."

Despite the warm reception the Wiesenthal delegation received from the French president, the fact remains that 2014 began with a virulently antisemitic march through the streets of Paris with the rallying cry, "Jews, France is not yours" on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day. (To view footage of the rally visit: http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/160800/jew-france-is-not-yours-chant-anti-government-demonstrators-in-paris)

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Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is a leading Canadian non-profit human rights foundation directly representing over 30,000 members. FSWC is committed to countering racism and antisemitism and to promoting the principles of tolerance, social justice and Canadian democratic values through advocacy and educational programs including workshops, Freedom Day, Spirit of Hope Benefit, Tools for Tolerance and its widely acclaimed new Tour for Humanity. FSWC is affiliated with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewish human rights organization headquartered in Los Angeles, which has won two Academy Awards, has built two Museums of Tolerance (with a third being built in Jerusalem) and is an NGO at the United Nations, UNESCO, OAS, OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament. Visit us at www.fswc.ca.