Exclusive by Elie Wiesel: The Tragedy in Toulouse

March 21, 2012 4:53 pm 32 comments

8 year old victim Miriam Monsonego. Photo: Facebook.

Will the hatred of the Jews ever finally vanish? Will Jewish children always be in danger?

This time, a murderer slew four Jews: a teacher and three young children.

When a blood-thirsty Jew-hater wants to kill Jews, he goes first to the Jewish schools. Jewish children are his primary target.

It’s always been this way. This is what Pharaoh, King of Egypt did, what Hitler did. And this is what happened now.

This is the background to the tragedy that occurred in the French city, Toulouse.

I have visited that city many times. The Jewish community there is old and well-established – it dates back to the Middle Ages – but it is dynamic.

In the streets, you can see Jews wearing yarmulkas. Nobody thinks of anti-Semitism. Spiritually, it is one of richest Jewish communities in France.

Obviously, the terrible murderous attack evoked tears and rage among both Jews and non-Jews. The President, his ministers, and other political figures in France, as well as all the newspapers, have demanded that the murderer be found and punished.

It often happens like this. Jewish blood is spilled and, temporarily, sympathy for Jews grows; the world warms to them.

But the pain does not go away, nor does the anger. We think about the martyrs: Rabbi Yochanan Sandler, his sons Aryeh and Gavriel, and Miriam Monsonego. We say, as is Jewish tradition: “May G-d avenge their blood.” That will be the response from Above.

Our own answer must be concrete and to the point. When we are persecuted, our response must be: We will remain Jewish – and do everything to become more Jewish.

32 Comments

  • “Our own answer must be concrete and to the point. When we are persecuted, our response must be: We will remain Jewish – and do everything to become more Jewish”

    Are white Europeans, like the French allowed the same?

  • “What we dream of is—Jews strong enough and honest enough to hate their killers …” – Ben Hecht

  • Elie is in his response is a bit naive

    Quote” We say, as is Jewish tradition: “May G-d avenge their blood.” That will be the response from Above.”

    God gave us the ability and the knowhow to respond to such atrocities and there are examples in the Prophets

    This killer, gaving admitted his guilt, should be guillotined or shot
    Jail is too good for him !

    • evelyn gross

      All true but at a time like this we must believe in DIvine Justice otherwise we lose everything.

  • The same killer killed 3 french soldiers, 2 muslim among them and a black man. Killing is always terrible, but the killing of children is worse because only a coward can do that.
    On my website I put a candle and wrote that if people do something to a child, he becomes my child. If they do something to somebody because of his religion, I am from his religion. This horrible event made me be a jewish mam. In septembre 1982, more than 900 persons, among them many children were killed by christians in Sabra and Chatila, the responsability of some israelian militaries was obvious because they controled the land around the camps, in 1948 soldiers from irgoun massacred people among them many children in deir yassin.
    In africa, they do mass murders in name of race or religion
    Massacre of innocent have always existed everywherre
    I hope the world will see the end of this one day, but I doubt it happens really.

  • Mariel, how dare you. Chana you’re right on. Take you’re pathetic life elsewhere Mariel

    • You seem like a great Jew and a great person. Obviously something I said obviously hit a nerve, which means I’m on target, or you would not have replied so viscerally. The Jewish community is small and vulnerable enough as it is, and you want to start infighting rather than attempting to engage in discussion? Particularly with someone you know absolutely nothing about? Smart. I’m sure Elie would be proud.

  • Thank you Elie Weisel for using your amazing talents once again to wake us up. When something as awful as this happens, it is every human being’s business to react by doing at least one thing towards making the world a better place.

  • Does anybody remember why the second Temple was destroyed? How about giving in to grief for a few hours instead of taking it out on each other. You can go back to lambasting tomorrow.

  • BS”D

    the attack on the Jews from Toulouse was an attack by Amalek:
    -Chasing the weak and
    -defying G’d's ownership of this world by doing it in a month Adar where G’d gave us divine power and victory over Haman the Amalekite.

    What we should do:
    Find these murderers and their accomplices, hunt them and their families down, and bring them all to Thora judgment connected to the laws of Amalek: Do NOT forget.

    A war with Amalek from generation to generation.

  • What about the slaughter of Christians going on around the world (e.g. Africa and the Middle East), who are strong supporters of Israel? Where is the outrage over that? And what does it mean to be “more Jewish” and who gets to judge that? I am not orthodox, but I am a direct descendant of a long line of very highy regarded Rabbis. Who is qualified to judge “how Jewish” I am but G-d?

    • Mariel,
      This is hardly the time or place for your discussion. I am certain your ancestors paid for your ability to post and publish your ignorant and insensitive ideas with their blood. You are obviously confused, insecure and fragile about yourself and your Jewish identity. That is a shame. :(

      • Really? Re-read the last paragraph of the article. You may not like or agree with my comment, but that doesn’t make them uninformed. In fact, since you clearly have no idea what I’m referring to and believe from one comment you can characterized me as confused, insecure and fragile, clearly you are the ignorant one. You know nothing about me or my ancestors, and if you’re referring to the right to free speech by “paid for your ability post and publish…ideas with their blood”- that was actually the First Amendment, with which the pogroms, Holocaust, etc. had nothing to do. There are atrocities going on around the world, as badly as those done to Jews, on which the Jewish community is silent. That is a shame.

  • Mr. Wiesel is a liberal, because, by the natures of Judaism, we all should be liberals. Jews value lives, that is liberal. Jews value learning, that is liberal. Jews value freedom, that is liberal. To be liberal is to be open and tolerant. If that is not a Jew, what is?

    • Ephraim is a bit naive; it is the “liberal” left who are the current purveyors of anti-Semitism and Islamophilia worldwide.

      • 100% Jewish Liberal

        Sami it is you who is naive…the left is all about peace, love and tolerance….there is no room for hate, discrimination or intolerance.

        • Oh, please “100% Jewish Liberal”. The liberal Left, throughout the world, represents the largest educated voice against Israel and the Jews. The boycott and divestment movement singles out one country in the entire world for its censure: Israel. Heard anything about boycotting Iran, Syria, Sudan, etc. lately? The silence is deafening. The legacy of the liberal Left is one of hatred towards Jews and all the stand for. If you really don’t know this, do your homework rather than spouting liberal talking points.

      • It is no coincidence that the vast majority of the Jewish vote went to the Democrats last election. As a minority population in the United States, we have a long reputation of standing on the side of Social Justice in our community especially on the subjects of Civil Rights. The problem comes with the Left’s idea that because the Palestinians are not the victors, they must be the victims.

  • Susanne (Sanne) Kalter DeWitt

    I was born in Germany in 1934 and deported to Poland in 1938 because I was a Jew and my father had been born in Poland. The Poles sent me back to Germany and I was incarcerated (briefly) in Dachau and then was then hidden in Holland. I ask myself this question: “Is This The Beginning of the next Holocaust?

  • Excellent point Dan. How long shall we allow our blood to be so cheap? The time for dialogue with the nations of the world seems long past. If we must be killed , let us die not as defenseless victims. Let us die as people who rose up against their enemies in all 4 corners of the globe not just in Israel. We must defend ourselves everywhere and kill those who would kill us. Is that not what our holy Torah advocates? That is true Jewish identity.

  • Only a Jew like Wiesel can go thru Hell and come out a liberal.

    • I don’t understand how you see from this article that he’s a liberal (it may be true in his personal life, I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem that way in this article). It is one of the best responses to the wacko jew haters, LET US AL BECOME MORE JEWISH! Let’s not hide or cower because of them!
      Let all our dress & actions scream out “I’m a jew, & I’m proud!”
      And yes, sometimes being jewish entails belief in G-d’s salvation, as well as our obligation to stand up to our enemies & protect ourselves!

      • Hatred for Jews is “wacko”? If you have a good knowledge/understanding of history, there are clear reasons why this hatred exists. People like you only enforce negativity towards Jews. This whole things is making me want to convert to Christianity.

        • How can you critisize one for saying hatred for Jews is “wacko”? I applaud Mark for being so mild. Iii

        • Mariel,
          With self-hating Jews who claim Rabbis as descendants, who needs enemies? BTW, why would the Christians want you?

        • Mariel, four innocent people were just murdered and it was clearly a hate crime. So are you saying that these innocent Jews were killed for a reason and that this murderer is justified? Are you crazy? Your comments seem selfish and pretentious. I have learnt history and there is no reason for hatred towards Jews and the cruelty that results from it. We do not need to hear about you and the reasons why you are clearly a self hating Jew. This article is about the four innocent people who were murdered and it is not an article for you to be venting about your anger towards Judaism.

        • It sounds as if your mind is already made up. Merry Christmas and Happy Easter to you.

        • Hatred is always unjust and becomes atrocious when one’s identity, be it religion ethnicity or nationality, becomes the basis for blind hatred. That is indeed ‘Wacko’

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