Sammy Ghozlan. Photo: YouTube.

Sammy Ghozlan

Founder of National Bureau for Vigilance Against Antisemitism

Sammy Ghozlan, founder of France’s National Bureau for Vigilance Against Antisemitism, announced at the beginning of 2015 that he would immigrate to Israel, calling it “a message.” Ghozlan, a former police commissioner whose organization is one of France’s leading watchdog groups on antisemitism, reportedly said, “Leaving is better than running away. We do not know how things will play out tomorrow.” For Ghozlan, the decision comes shortly after the Jewish Agency announced that 2014 was the first year ever that the most immigrants to Israel came from France. During the year, some 7,000 people made aliyah from France, which has seen a surge in anti-Semitism, as have many other European nations.