Israel 'exploits tragedy' by encouraging French Jews to migrate

Despite the fact that the recent attacks in Paris did not target Jews specifically, the colossal tragedy has been used as an example by many writers and researchers in Israel to warn Jewish citizens of Europe about the perils of remaining.

Columnist Avrahim Tirosh said that European Jews should "wake up before it is too late, as the knife is pointed to their necks and they should emigrate to Israel as soon as possible".

Tirosh said in an article that was published by Israeli daily newspaper Maariv last Monday that France, home to half a million Jews - the largest such community in Europe - was no longer a safe environment.

He not only blamed the Paris attacks, but also "the growing anti-semitic phenomenon [in France], as 50 percent of all attacks that target Jews in the world occur on its territories".

Tirosh said that although there had been a significant increase in the number of French Jews who emigrate from France to Israel, 30 percent of these migrants return to France within three years because they find it difficult to integrate into Israeli society.

Europe is beginning to look like a cemetery - Israeli writer Isi Liebl

With an effort that seems to aim at spreading terror in the hearts of European Jews, writer Isi Liebl forecast a "bleak future" if they didn't leave for Israel as soon as possible - warning that "Europe is beginning to look like a cemetery".

In an article published by the Israeli daily, Israel Hayom, Liebl claimed that the climate in Europe will become so different that it would be difficult to "instill Jewish values and pride among young Jewish people" because of the "massive wave of Muslim migration" to Europe.

Right-wing writer Matan Bilig claimed that the growing conflict between the West and "radical Islam" does not necessarily carry "good news" for Europe's Jews. He argued that sections of European society would consider Jews or Israel as the reason behind the outbreak of conflict.

In an article published by Makor Rishon, another Israeli daily newspaper, Bilig considered remarks by the Swedish foreign minister - in which she linked the Paris attacks to Israel's treatment of Palestinians - to be "a first indicator to the negative repercussions of the conflict between the Western and Islamic civilisations".

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom had said after the Paris attacks that the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a factor behind youth radicalisation in the Middle East.

Why would I emigrate to Israel? The security situation there is not better than here

French Jews do not seem to be affected by these Israeli appeals. The deteriorating security situation in the West Bank and Jerusalem has reduced the impact of Israeli attempts to lure European Jews, particularly the French, to move to Israel.

"Why would I emigrate to Israel? The security situation there is not better than here," a French Jewish woman told Israeli Channel 2 on Friday.

Many right-wingers, including some in Israel, have used the Paris attacks to incite Europeans to wage a religious war to counter the threat of "radical Islam".

Israeli researcher and journalist Yair Sheleg urged Europe not to focus its war against Islamic State group alone, calling for a war on "all spectrums of jihadi Islam".

In an article published by Makor Rishon, Sheleg said that there was a need for initiating a "fierce" war and without hesitation "before it becomes too late to confront radical Islam".