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French president's address to Jewish group overshadowed by row with Muslims

By REUTERS

FEBRUARY 24, 2015 03:19

French President Francois Hollande urged Internet companies like Google and Facebook on Monday to fight hate speech online, but his address to a Jewish group was marred by a spat between leaders of France's Jewish and Muslim communities.

The row broke out after the head of the CRIF Jewish umbrella group said that young Muslims were the cause of all violent crime, prompting a leading Muslim group to boycott the Jewish group's annual dinner, at which Hollande was due to speak.

It rekindled tensions in a country which is home to Europe's largest Jewish and Muslim minorities, just weeks after political leaders called for a spirit of 'national unity' in response to a series of attacks by Islamist militants that left 20 people dead, including three attackers.

"We need to say things clearly: all violence today is committed by young Muslims," Roger Cukierman told Europe 1 radio. "Of course, it's a tiny minority of the Muslim community and Muslims are the first victims."

Cukierman had been asked whether the far-right National Front party bore any responsibility for anti-Semitic acts. Five minors were arrested last week for having damaged hundreds of tombs earlier this month in a Jewish cemetery in eastern France.

Hollande, who did not address the spat directly in his speech at the CRIF dinner, called upon public representatives to measure their words carefully.

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