Banning Jews represents a dark period in history, which, up until now, has been an embarrassing chapter in the background of most Europeans. 

In the UK, it occurred under the reign of King Edward I, whose Edict of Expulsion in 1290, was the cause of 3,000 Jews being forced to leave. Likewise, France has seen its share of Jewish expulsions during the 13th and 14th centuries, a time which is referred to as its unenlightened period.

 As a whole, it hasn’t happened in Europe since the 1930s. But the idea that both of these countries would, once again, see a revival of such practices has to serve as a glaring sign of the times and the frightening direction of where things are heading.

Ironically, these two countries, which are now experiencing this unwelcoming atmosphere for Jews, are home to a wide spectrum of ethnicities, many of whom escaped their own countries of origin after suffering from intolerance and a lack of inclusiveness for all.

This is the very reason why these open societies were an attractive option to those who valued the freedom that eluded them, appreciating such iconic and meaningful symbols as the Statue of Liberty – or the London Eye, representing the solidarity of all of London’s inhabitants.

Does liberty include Jews?

IN PARIS, someone apparently forgot to tell them that liberty does not exclude Jews since some Parisian activists think it does. Just last week, they were seen denying “entry of Jewish students to a Paris university, refusing to allow Jewish students access to the Sciences Po University’s Emile-Boutmy amphitheater.”

The hall, which had been flanked with Palestinian flags, was the venue dedicated to host an event called “4 Hours 4 Palestine, where a number of lectures had been scheduled to delve into the topic of “Palestinian Perspectives, refugees, Judaism and anti-Zionism.” As expected, pro-Palestinian activists wasted no time in promoting the idea of a Palestinian state “from the river to the sea,” which would effectively make Israel a no-go zone for Jews as well.

The event, sponsored by the usual Jew-haters, whose knowledge of history or the Jewish people could fill a thimble, was predictable, but more important was how the university’s administration reacted to these events. 

In this case, they were said to be launching an investigation while a state criminal investigation has also been taking place simultaneously. The official statement of the Paris Institute of Political Studies was, “We are committed to fighting against antisemitism and regret that conflict in the Middle East has strained relations between student communities to the detriment of a pluralism of ideas and healthy discourse.”

But the statement, which sounds reasonable, actually represents a very tepid and cowardly acknowledgment of what is really occurring, since the incident is largely being blamed on “Middle East strained relations.” 

Failure to call out blatant anti-Jewish prejudice is both wrong and misses the point because what happens in Israel cannot be placed upon the shoulders of Jewish students in Paris.

 It is merely a convenient and handy pretext in order to demonize a particular population that they would like to expel from their common space. In some ways, it is a microcosm of why two states can never happen because one side is unwilling to share its ground with the other.

CONCURRENTLY, FACING this same phenomenon is London, a city just under 300 miles [480 km.] away from Paris. It is there that the threat to Jews is ever increasing, given the constant pro-Palestinian demonstrations occurring regularly each weekend.

As a result, London’s Jewish community feels unsafe, as well as due to the lack of adequate policing which has failed to guarantee their protection during these protests.

As the genocidal call, “from the river to the sea” continues to be shouted, it’s no wonder that the city has, on weekends, turned into a no-go zone for its Jewish population which cannot risk being identified and attacked simply due to their ethnicity which has become a liability for them, whether or not they support Israel’s policies.

The Israel-Hamas war is nothing more than a helpful subterfuge for the real underlying cauldron of hate, which has been festering for some time. Anyone believing that this intensified loathing was the result of spontaneous combustion which occurred on October 7 but which, prior to that time, was non-existent, is delusional.

This fire was ignited a long ago and although temporarily doused, its embers were awaiting the tiniest of sparks to, once again, burst into flames.

That spark was the war, now taking place, providing useful condemnation of Israel for the suffering of the Palestinian people in order to detract from the real cause of their repression: Hamas’s deliberate quashing of those they govern, aware that their cause will not prosper without the promoting the victimhood status of their people.

In other words, it’s a clever strategy of replacement of guilt and finger-pointing, useful to those actually perpetuating the suffering of others. Unfortunately, Israel is used to being cast in that role by ignorant, small-minded people claiming they love freedom (except for those whom they deem undeserving of it), who are the disseminators of this duplicity.

WHAT BEGINS with no-go zones for Europe’s Jews has the potential to end with another call for expulsion, revealing the sad fact that history has taught us nothing if its darkest days are soon to be repeated. 

But as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres infamously said, “These events did not happen in a vacuum.” Certain Muslim-controlled areas within Paris and London have become no-go zones for local police and authorities, who refuse to enter them for fear of their own safety.

Likewise, Brussels police have also been encountering off-limit areas, admitting that have “lost control” of heavily Muslim suburbs that feature some of Europe’s most radical mosques and Islamic clerics.

When countries allow entire sectors of their cities to become no-go zones for their own law enforcement, that is when they have effectively handed over the keys to someone else, relinquishing their right to police and oversee what is actually happening in these quarters which have been taken over by force.

This is why the concept of no-go zones is so dangerous and threatening to everyone – not just to Jews but also to non-Jews. Because, as usual, what often starts with the Jews, generally ends up hurting all of mankind – at least that’s what history has shown us.

The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.