French chickens are apparently coming home to roost. The French, who for years have been one of Israel's most serious critics, accusing Israel of terrorism regarding the Arabs who want to eliminate them, while cozying up to those same Moslem/Arab countries, seem to have an intifada of their own. At least many of the French police think so.
France, which colonized what are now Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in North Africa, and only reluctantly withdrew about 45 years ago after bloody revolutions, has a large immigrant population of these former colonials and their descendants. Last year these French citizens returned French hospitality by rioting nightly in their immigrant neighborhoods, burning cars, destroying other property while clashing violently with police. This year, once again, they're
waging an undeclared "intifada" against the police, with violent clashes injuring an average of 14 officers each day.
As the interior ministry said that nearly 2,500 officers had been wounded this year, a police union declared that its members were "in a state of civil war" with Muslims in the most depressed "banlieue" estates which are heavily populated by unemployed youths of north African origin.
Other French officials disagree that this is a homegrown intifada, instead blaming it on more effective police work or resentment and rioter joblessness. All of this might be true in some degree; what cannot be denied is that this is occurring all over France and will probably get worse before the situation improves.
Meanwhile on the diplomatic front, France is still criticizing Israel.
Ethel C. Fenig 10 06 06
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