Today's Date:

Mr. President,
Speaker of the Senate,
Madame Prime Minister
Ministers,
Legislators,
Ambassadors,
Mr. Mayor,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am both honoured and proud to take part in this annual gathering, which for me is an important forum for exchanging ideas and views. I am often struck by the contrast between the serious and sometimes tragic subjects we deal with here and the festive atmosphere that always surrounds us. This is the fifth dinner to which I have been invited as Prime Minister. I am delighted to see so many friends and familiar faces among you. Over the years, our dialogue has become richer. Today, more than ever, it has become essential. The quality of our dialogue can be attributed to efforts made by Henri Hajdenberg over a period spanning four years. I would like to pay tribute to him tonight. In addition to the bonds of friendship and esteem that bind us, I have appreciated the quality of our discussions over the years. I am also delighted to welcome Roger Cukierman, your new Chairman, who is as committed as Henri was to working with the government in a climate of trust, based on frank dialogue and a mutual desire to listen. Such was the tenor of our first meeting at Matignon.

As you have stressed, we gather tonight against a dire international backdrop.

The sense of shock in the wake of the tragic attacks in New York and Washington on 11 September 2001 remains intense. The French nation has affirmed its support for its American ally, and the French government is fully mobilized in the international fight against this brand of terrorism, which in the name of Islam utterly distorts the values of Islam.

Nothing justifies terrorism. No cause, no argument from the misery of an aggrieved group, justifies the death of innocent people. Against terrorism, the will of the international community must be unwavering.

France has joined in the campaign to bring down the Taliban government, which has forged a criminal pact with al-Qaeda. Our country has long denounced the fanatic and backward nature of this regime, its blatant disregard for basic civil liberties and, in particular, its heinous treatment of women. France is relieved that the Taliban regime has fallen. The city of Kabul has fallen, and an offensive is under way to destroy the last bastions that the Taliban share with the terrorists. The al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan is being dismantled. We hope that Bin Laden and his accomplices will be stopped, and that they will be held accountable for their actions in a court of law. Undoubtedly, some of them will survive Bin Laden. But the failure of Bin Laden will lead to a more secure future.

The international community must bring the same sense of urgency to helping the people of Afghanistan build the future. France sincerely hopes that the Afghan leaders gathered in Bonn under the aegis of UN Secretary-General’s special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi will be able to set up a government that represents the Afghan nation as a whole, as called for in the French plan submitted by Foreign Affairs Minister Hubert Vedrine.

In addition to the intervention in Afghanistan, an international effort to eradicate terrorism is being fought on other fronts. International co-operation on security and information exchange is being stepped up, and significant progress is being made to close off the loopholes in the international financial system that only too often are used to bankroll terrorists.

Mr. President,

As you have reminded those assembled, these events have come at a time of extreme tension in Israel, brought on in large part by the latest Intifada.

I agree with you. Israel can in no way be held responsible for the events of 11 September. Bin Laden only evokes the situation in the Middle East to justify his crimes.

Nonetheless, the situation in the region is doubly disconcerting. For all of us who sincerely desire peace in the region – and this includes myself – the situation is disconcerting, not only because of the human toll, but also because heightened tensions always divide people, destroy trust and smother hope.

Thanks in particular to the remarkable efforts of Yitzhak Rabin, we have come to believe that, although the road to peace is difficult and filled with danger, it is there to be taken. On several occasions and in your presence, I have expressed my faith in the Israeli government to find that road. At the time of last year’s dinner, peace negotiations – delicate and contentious, yes, but negotiations nonetheless – were under way. Under the courageous leadership of President Clinton, the talks resulted in the drafting of a master agreement between Israelis and Palestinians at the end of January 2001. When the hopes for peace that emerged from these talks were dashed, this disappointment impacted the choice of the Israeli people in the 6 February 2001 election.

On 6 July, I received Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Paris. At the time, I commended the restraint demonstrated by Israel following the Dolphinarium suicide bombing in Tel Aviv on 1st June.

During our cordial and frank discussion, I also reminded the Prime Minister of the firm position of the French Government. I would like to reiterate this position tonight. With respect to the Palestinians, our view is that Israel is entitled to security within a state with recognised borders, and that the political future of the Palestinians depends on their willingness to absolutely and unambiguously acknowledge this right. As we have said to the Palestinians on a number of occasions, terrorism is unacceptable. Not only does it ruin any chance of peace, it also does a disservice to the Palestinian cause. With respect to the Israelis, our view is that they will only find peace and security if they acknowledge that the Palestinians have an absolute right to a sovereign state. The pro-settlement policy is an obstacle to peace, and attempts to undermine the Palestinian authorities will, in the end, only backfire.

Mr. President, Everyone here tonight knows that I am a friend of Israel. Israel is a democracy and, as such, it is a model. It is the duty of the government of Israel to protect its citizens. As a friend of Israel, I believe that if the only horizon is violence, and if the use of force is accepted as the ultimate form of retaliation, there can be no genuine security and there can be no lasting peace. And these are the very things the Israeli people want and deserve.

This is why my government has worked relentlessly for the resumption of a meaningful political dialogue between the Israelis and Palestinians. These long overdue talks should culminate in the co-existence of a secure Israeli state and a sovereign and viable Palestinian nation. Today, more than half the Israeli people are in favour of a Palestinian state. France is ready to make every effort to facilitate talks to this end with Israel. France is pleased that the United States has renewed its resolve in the region, as indicated in the speech given by its Secretary of State on 19 November and in several encouraging statements made by President Bush. These declarations can serve as the basis for joint efforts by the United States and Europe to promote peace in the Middle East.

Resolution of the current crisis must begin with full implementation of the Mitchell report, which calls for an immediate end to violence combined with trust-building measures. Last spring, the parties to the conflict formally accepted this solution. The time has now come to put it into practice. Otherwise, there will only be more victims, destruction, hatred and humiliation. In the absence of a just political solution, there can be neither peace nor security for two peoples whose destiny is intertwined. Israel must not resign itself to the inevitability of violence and insecurity.

France -- and with it, Europe -- will continue to proclaim these principles, even though it is more difficult today than it was yesterday to accept the need for concessions on both sides. I fully understand the disappointment of those who, in Israel and elsewhere, sincerely believed that peace was at hand. I was able to speak with some of them during my visit to the region. They spoke of their hopes -- hopes that have since been dashed. But once again, only mutual recognition of the dignity of the other will bring about peace and take us down the road so often pointed to by Shimon Peres: an association of Middle Eastern states working hand in hand to meet the major challenges facing the region by promoting development and lasting peace.

Mr. President,

You have also voiced the concerns raised in the Jewish community of a revival of anti-Semitism.

Let me reassure you: the Government is determined to combat all forms of anti-Semitism. This determination is absolute and can admit of no exceptions. I have said it before and I will say it again: it is out of the question to “transport” the Middle East conflict onto French soil. France is a country where natives and foreigners alike, from diverse backgrounds and beliefs, co-exist in peace and harmony, upholding the laws of the Republic. This co-existence may give rise to differences of opinion, but never to violence. In a Republic, dialogue and respect must prevail over brute force.

For more than four years, the French government has fought firmly against all forms of anti-Semitism, whether perpetrated against persons or against property -- cemeteries and synagogues, for example. The situation was, without a doubt, particularly preoccupying a few months ago. But we have not let down our guard. I have asked the Minister of the Interior, Daniel Vaillant, to be especially vigilant and to keep me regularly apprised. Anti-Semitism will not be tolerated in France, any more than any other form of racism. Our vigilance also extends to the Internet, where the existence of xenophobic, racist and anti-Semitic Web sites is a serious problem. While the Internet is a venue for free expression, it must not serve as a haven for hate. Words and images that encourage violence or murder must be prohibited. The legal instruments required for enforcement now exist, and we will not hesitate to use them.

This committed fight against racism and anti-Semitism is part and parcel of a more far-reaching policy aimed at enhancing security in the community. The greatest problem facing our citizens today is the nagging feeling of insecurity in their daily lives. Combating threats to security for all is a top priority of the Government, which has invested considerably since 1997, in both human and financial terms, to encourage co-operation between law enforcement agencies and local players and offer pay increases to law enforcement personnel. We realize that much remains to be done, however. We must punish more effectively after the fact and takes steps to deter crime before it happens, by tackling the problem at its roots, where violence and hatred fester in our society. We are determined to deal with this issue without exploiting it for political ends. And we will not miss any opportunity to remind the public that there is no civil society without rules, and that rights go hand in hand with responsibilities.

Mr. President,

You also mentioned the efforts of research and reparation undertaken by the French government some 60 years after the exactions committed by the Vichy government.

At each of the dinners we have shared, I have reviewed accomplishments made in this direction. This includes the ongoing work of the Matteoli Commission, up through its final report, and that undertaken by those responsible for implementing the Commission’s recommendations. Once again, I would like to thank Jean Matteoli and his Vice-Chairman Ady Steg. Their work was unanimously praised across the globe, for its quality and rigor. Subsequent negotiations that were expertly conducted by Ambassador Jacques Andreani enabled my Government to reach an agreement with the US government, represented by Deputy Treasury Secretary Stuart Eizenstadt. The agreement, officially signed in Washington, DC on 18 January 2001, recognises that the actions undertaken in France to settle the issue of the confiscation of assets belonging to Jews during the Second World War were sufficiently credible to inspire the US government to ask the courts to put an end to all class action suits brought against French banks. The banks agreed to compensate anyone who could provide reasonable proof that they had been a victim of asset confiscation in France during the war. At my request, Foreign Affairs Minister Hubert Vedrine has asked Ambassador Francis Lott to monitor and enforce the French-US agreement.

I feel that we have made many strides in this vital task since our meeting last year.

The first concerns the efforts of the Commission for the Indemnification of Victims of Asset Confiscation. Under the chairmanship of Pierre Drai, the Commission’s resources have been doubled, enabling it to process the growing number of claims (more than 8,000 since it was established) and fulfil its role as defined in the French-American agreement. Procedures have been simplified and turnaround times shortened, so that the Commission can examine every case and make the necessary reparations. Intensive communication efforts have also been made, including page inserts in the French and foreign print media, the creation of a Web site, and the distribution of brochures in French, English and Hebrew.

The Commission’s first activity report, which was submitted to me on 20 November, confirms the considerable progress made in handling claims. It is expected that an average of 1,800 to 2,000 recommendations can be issued a year. I would like to express my thanks to all the members of the Commission for the work they have accomplished with diligence and dedication. First and foremost, I’d like to thank President Drai, whose task is monumental and whose responsibility is great. For all of us, his habitual compassion is a guarantor of the Commission’s success. The government will pursue its efforts to ensure that the Commission has the resources it needs to fulfil its mission, and has decided to take steps to speed up payment once the Commission has issued recommendations.

We are also pursuing the painstaking task of investigating the source of “MNR” artwork – that is, works of art recovered by national museums after the war. This effort has led to the publication of a document and the creation of a Web site open to the public. Moreover, in line with recommendations issued by the Matteoli Commission, discussions are under way between French government-owned museums and the curator of the Museum of Israel to set up a rotating exhibit of major MNR artworks.

A second step has been taken with the creation of the Fondation pour la mémoire de la Shoah, as I announced last year. This Foundation will collect the proceeds of confiscated public and private assets that have not been claimed by individuals. By January 2002, the Government will have made its full contribution to the Foundation. I would like to express my deep gratitude to Simone Veil for agreeing to chair the Foundation. In addition, the quality of its Executive Board ensures that the 40 projects -- both national and international in scope –it will be called upon to examine will be reviewed with all due seriousness. The Foundation will also play an important symbolic role, reminding future generations of the past and the lessons to be learned. The Foundation will support both the Jewish Documentation Centre and the Unknown Jewish Martyr Museum, thereby contributing to preserving the links in the chain of memory. It will immortalise our compassion for the men, women and children who were killed because they were Jews. It will also commemorate the “Justes” and the Resistance fighters who had the courage and the conviction to stand up for liberty and human rights.

One of the Foundation’s top priorities is obviously to educate young people about this period. I am delighted that the Foundation, in conjunction with Education Minister Jack Lang, has decided to distribute a DVD to all French high schools containing excerpts from Claude Lanzmann’s acclaimed film Shoah. This program dovetails nicely with the new image-learning plan devised with the Minister of Culture Catherine Tasca.

The third step worth noting concerns the compensation of the orphans of Jewish deportees. The settlements have mostly been made, thanks to the joint efforts of the Minister of Defence, the Secretary of State in charge of Veterans’ Affairs and the National Office of Veterans’ Affairs. More than 11,500 claims have been filed to date, giving rise to lump sum or annuity payments, at the beneficiary’s option. I am aware of the misunderstandings that arose – in resistant circles but also among some of you here -- when the decree of 13 July 2000 establishing compensation was published. The matter was widely covered in the press. However, I am firmly convinced that the unusual situation resulting from a policy calling for the extermination of the Jewish community in France requires exceptional measures sixty years later. In the words of the Council of State, we must extend this right to "everyone who, as a result of acts committed in the name of the policy of systematic extermination" that was practiced against Jews in France during the Occupation, lost one or both of their parents. In addition, we must pursue discussions aimed at formally recognising all those who were the victims of anti-Semitic persecution, ensure that the extenuating circumstances of orphans of deportees are taken into account, and increase the resources of the resistance and deportation foundations.

2002 comes exactly 60 years after 1942, the year in which the biggest “rafles” – i.e. mass arrests of Jews -- took place. Several initiatives are planned to remind us of this horrible year. Following Sweden, France will chair the International Task Force on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research, created with the United States, Israel and the main European states. I have asked our representative, Norbert Engel, to ensure that even more ambitious initiatives are undertaken in France and abroad to raise awareness of the unrivalled atrocity that was the Holocaust. In October, France will host a major international symposium in partnership with the Council for Europe and the Fondation pour la mémoire de la Shoah. This colloquium will bring together representatives from 48 countries, providing a perfect backdrop for the national day of remembrance of the Holocaust and prevention of racial hate crimes, implemented at the behest of the National Minister of Education.

As you can see, Mr. President, the government’s efforts are unwavering. We wouldn’t be where we are without the arduous efforts of everyone – including several people who are here tonight – who strive daily to accomplish this goal. I would like to express my admiration for Serge Klarsfeld, whose major work has met with justly deserved acclaim, and Claude Lanzmann, whose documentary " Sobibor 14 October 1943, 4 p.m." – which my wife and I saw with him – is one of the period’s most important remembrance pieces. I would also like to thank those individuals, especially educators, who patiently explain, often in the face of incredulity, what the Holocaust is and why this Jewish tragedy is also a human tragedy.

It will be up to historians to assess the quality of France’s efforts to document its past. I hope they will find it dignified and even exemplary. It owes much to the ongoing dialogue between France’s Jewish community – namely through the CRIF – and the government, with the aim of finding just and fair solutions. In addition, the sheer magnitude of the research, the rapport created between our country and its history, is also exemplary. This rapport is based on the conviction that, far from having provoking dread, an unflinching examination of our past will make our nation stronger. The quest for the truth and the attempt to shed light on the past are not acts of repentance. It is in this spirit that I recently announced that a new centre would be built to house the precious archives that embody the memory of the nation.

Mr. President,

In a few short months, our country will make decisions that will decisively shape its future. A critical moment in the life of democracy is coming. My government will ask the public to judge it on the basis of the actions and reforms carried out over the last five years. It will not be the only one to be judged by the people. Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming election, it is likely that another Prime Minister will be standing here before you. So I would like to say, for the last time, how proud and honoured I am to be among active and involved men and women who have taken up the cause of national community service. Our discussions have been positive, friendly and frank.

Distinguished guests,

Dear friends,

CRIF is a valued partner of government. In constantly striving to maintain the lines of communication open, it has acted with maturity, wisdom and a sense of accountability. This is a difficult moment for the world. And as you have reminded us, many Jews in France are worried. I would like to reassure you this evening that the Government is determined to defend, here and around the world, the principles of justice and liberty upon which the French Republic was built./.