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Most French Jews Feel Unsafe — But Resolve Remains Strong

Apr 20, 2026·2 min read

Most French Jews don’t feel safe living in France — and no wonder. When your nanny tries to poison your whole family, when you get attacked on your way home from shul Friday night, when your grandmother is beaten by Arab thugs, you start getting the message that maybe the environment is a little hostile to Jews.

France houses the largest population of Jews outside of Israel and the United States, but it’s been bleeding Jews for decades.

A survey released by the Jewish Agency for Israel titled the “One People Report” paints a stark picture of Jewish attitudes toward their un-neighborly neighbors.

More than 75 percent of French Jews no longer feel safe, compared to 22 percent who do — and how much do you want to bet that that small percentage comprises anti-Zionist Jews, the “good” Jews who are the only acceptable Jews in today’s climate? Of course they feel safe.

A swastika defaces the entrance of the Gisèle Halimi Center in Bordeaux, France.

Nearly half of European Jews — 43 percent — and more than a third of North American Jews have experienced Jew hatred directly or within their family in the past year. Sixty-nine percent of Jews worldwide believe that antisemitism poses the greatest challenge to the safety of the Jewish community today. Nearly half of those surveyed said that the second greatest threat is their host country’s perception of Israel.

Still, even these concerns can’t repress the optimism of Jews worldwide. Seventy-four percent of young adults believe that despite rising Jew hatred, they can positively influence the future direction of their community. Strong communal support surely generates that sort of hopefulness — more than half said it’s important both to remain connected to their Jewish community and that their community offers strong support.

The Paris office of El Al airlines is vandalized in August 2025.

Meanwhile, the survey confirmed the widespread belief in the importance of Zionism. Nearly 90 percent said they believe Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people, while 85 percent said they believe Israel’s existence is essential for the flourishing of the Jewish people.

The moral of the story — our host countries might succeed in making Jews feel unsafe, but they can’t destroy their spirit.

View original on Jewish Breaking News
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