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The Chief Rabbi of France, Joseph Sitruk, said Thursday that the fight in France against anti-Semitism "will serve as an example" to Europe after a meeting with Jacques Chirac.

"What emerged from our talks is that France's stance is exemplary," the Chief Rabbi told AFP after he and a dozen other European rabbis had met privately with the president for over an hour.

"In other words France will serve as an example and a benchmark for the other European countries," which have also seen a rise in anti-Semitic acts, a "matter of concern" he said shared by other European rabbis.

Rabbi Sitruk said President Chirac had emphasized the ties of affection he had for the Jewish community and his determination to combat anti-Semitism. "We insisted on one idea which is very dear to me, education" because, he said, "it is essential not just to track down the perpetrators of anti-Semitic acts and punish them severely according to the law but also to act ahead of time to try to prevent the scourge of anti-Semitism through education for young people, education about history, the Holocaust, Jewish values, and the common destiny of France and the Jewish community."