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It's a country famous for croissants, escargot and unabashed pompousness, but more recently France has become more well-known for reports of a huge resurgence of anti-Semitic aggressions plaguing its streets.
Nicolas Weill, editor of France's major daily newspaper Le Monde, argued in a speech Wednesday evening that the current wave of anti-Jewish violence is the most recent reflection of deep-seated anti-Semitism passed on from older generations.
Weill, who has written myriad books on the subject, addressed the question of whether or not "the current resurgence of anti-Semitism is the indication of a fundamentally new phenomenon."
Recent anti-Semitic acts occurring in France "haven't tried anything new" and "stem more from the desire to designate an enemy than from a subtle analysis of what is going on," Weill said.
In his opinion, "traditional" anti-Semitism has not disappeared, but just manifests itself differently in younger generations.
Weill cited statistics showing that 80 percent of the overall violence in France in 2000 and 62 percent in 2003 were a direct product of anti-Semitism.