French vs. anti-Semitism

Actor Gerard Depardieu, singer Charles Aznavour and former President Nicolas Sarkozy are among some 300 French public figures urging national action to counter a “new anti-Semitism” that they blame on rising Islamic radicalism.

They signed a letter published Sunday in Le Parisien newspaper, joining politicians from the right and left, as well as Jewish, Mus- lim and Catholic leaders.

The statement urges prominent Muslims to denounce anti-Jewish and anti-Christian references in the Koran as outdated so “no believer can refer to a holy text to commit a crime.” It also calls for combating anti-Semitism “before it’s too late.”

Several French Jews have been killed by Islamic radicals in recent years.