Despite the interminable power outage that plunged one of the rooms of the Carlton Hotel in Cannes into darkness, causing some guests to question the Judaic symbolism of the incident, the Minister of Justice Rachida Dati certainly appreciated this moment of comfort after a challenging day spent in the south of France trying to convince rather reluctant local officials of the merits of her judicial reform. Invited to the annual dinner of the CRIF Southeast, the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France, the Minister maintained her eternal smile, making her forgiven – justice is lenient – for her one-hour delay. On a theme dedicated to “women of action and conviction,” this exceptional evening also marked the departure of its president, Martine Ouaknine, now a member of the national bodies of the organization and likely to take on high responsibilities in the near future.
After describing the “incomprehensible situation” that prevailed at the beginning of her term, lawyer Martine Ouaknine praised, in her welcome speech, the positive effects of the mobilization of various national actors, to the point today of being able to commend “France as a model in the fight against anti-Semitism,” with a “notable decrease in acts” and violence against Jews. In front of an impressive assembly of local officials, representatives of justice and religious communities, the President of CRIF Southeast nevertheless did not show excessive optimism. “Under no circumstances,” she explained, “should or can we relax our efforts, as a single anti-Semitic act” remains “morally unacceptable” and the “symptom of a democratic crisis.” Therefore, it is essential to “strengthen the national fabric” and “avoid the crisis in the Middle East becoming an excuse for young immigrants,” who are too often inclined to seek identity causes externally. A great achievement, indeed, of Martine Ouaknine, to which she clearly associated Christian Estrosi, President of the General Council of Alpes-Maritimes and now a declared candidate for the Mayorship of Nice: organizing visits for hundreds of Nice middle school students to the Auschwitz extermination camps. Shared memory work that should be followed by the upcoming participation of young Jews and Muslims from the region in a similar journey to build trust. Like a story shared by a Rabbi from the musicians’ district of Nice before the dinner: he claims to have once been warned by one of the representatives of Islam about the presence of a suspicious stranger viewed as such by both communities.
Even if she concluded on a hopeful note, Martine Ouaknine did not fail earlier to criticize, in a special mention, the behavior of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Denouncing “violations of press freedom in this country,” the religious dogmatism of a regime “obsessed with creating good Muslims” and President Ahmadinejad’s provocative statements toward Israel, she highlighted the risks of “challenging the global balance if Iran becomes a nuclear power.” She nevertheless celebrated that France, under the impetus of a “salutary shift by Nicolas Sarkozy,” is now “willing to move to a sanctions phase outside the UN.”
It should also be noted that, despite the central theme of the dinner, the issue of Iran was also addressed in Christian Estrosi’s intervention and, more unusually, in the speech given by Rachida Dati. By calling the denial of the Holocaust “a political infamy and intellectual ignominy,” the Secretary of State for Overseas Territories compared the Iran of the mullahs to the Hitler regime by mentioning the “1938” situation and calling to “refuse the easy solution,” “worse,” he said, than closing one’s eyes.” One wouldn’t act differently to prepare public opinion for a deterioration of the situation, even a conflict with Iran.
The Minister of Justice also dedicated a short section of her speech to Iran, emphasizing, contrary to the previous two speakers, “peace, a product of multilateralism,” explaining that no country could “impose its own law on the world.” Hence the importance, according to her, of the presidential project of the Union for the Mediterranean, “an opportunity to be seized for peace in the Middle East.” Despite her evident fatigue – “she got up at five in the morning,” a discreet explanation from one of her efficient advisors, Rachida Dati delivered a personalized speech: embodying “proof that France values its differences,” the Minister of Justice demonstrated her “particular bond with the Jewish community,” notably by evoking the “Spanish Jewish quarter of St Eugene in Oran” where her mother had lived. Drawing from Ernest Renan numerous references to “a sense of belonging” and “living together” of which justice is “the guarantor in democracy,” she nonetheless maintained the “repressive” tone of her ministerial approach, focusing her action on “the fight against discrimination and violence committed because of religion as well as the establishment of a recovery assistance service for victims of these offenses.” In each local court, a victims’ delegate judge will thus be responsible for protecting their rights.
Once her official speech was over, probably reassured by the warm reception she received, Rachida Dati spoke again with genuine emotion about her mother and the atmosphere of her childhood that this evening reminded her of. An immediate reaction from the audience, moved by this whispered confidence in a faint voice, the Minister of Justice was greeted with a long “standing ovation.” “It’s often like that,” one of her collaborators could conclude: “MPs or local officials get upset with her, but after meeting her, they all want to have their picture taken with her.”
Photos: Dan Sebban
