Paris slams Sharon call on French Jews to emigrate

PARIS, July 18 (AFP) – France Sunday denounced a call by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to French Jews to emigrate to Israel because of the level of anti-Semitism in the country.  

"We immediately made contact with the Israeli authorities to ask them to explain these unacceptable comments," a foreign office statement said.  

Earlier, Sharon told a meeting of an American Jewish association in Jerusalem: "Altogether I have to advocate to our brothers in France: move to Israel as early as possible."  

"That’s what I say to Jews all around the world but there (France) I think it’s a must. They have to move immediately."  

Sharon praised the French government for taking action against the "spread of the wildest anti-Semitism" but said that it was struggling against the impact of the growth of the Muslim community.  

France is home to Europe’s biggest Jewish and Muslim communities, estimated at 600,000 and five million respectively.  

Richard Prasquier, a member of the executive committee of the council representing Jewish organisations (CRIF), accused Sharon of "fanning the flames in an unacceptable way."  

"We cannot accept this kind of talk because it doesn’t reflect the reality of things," he told AFP.