WASHINGTON — Members of D.C.’s Jewish community gathered Tuesday night to respond to the wave of terror in France and show solidarity with the French people.
Hundreds came to the Adas Israel Synagogue in Cleveland Park, where there were prayers for the dead, a moment of silence and songs including the French national anthem, “La Marseillaise.”
Among the speakers was Gerard Araud, France’s ambassador to the United States.
“Thank you to all the American people who have shown an incredible compassion for what happened in Paris, from the highest level of the administration — from President Obama, who came to the French embassy — to the American in the street,” he said.
“We have received thousands of messages in the embassy. It’s very moving. You Americans, you are really a compassionate people,” he added.
Several of those killed in the Paris attacks were Jews, and although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded by urging French Jews to move to Israel, Araud hopes they will stay.
“I have been posted twice in Israel. Israel was my first diplomatic posting and my first ambassadorship. So I think that for me personally I can say that I’m devastated (and) I am ashamed that my French-Jewish compatriots could be obliged to leave my country, their country, our country, because they are afraid. As my prime minister has just said, it would be a moral failure if France was not able to protect the Jews of France. France without the Jews of France wouldn’t be France.”
Araud says there is a long road ahead.
“We are at war against terrorism. We are at war against radical Islam. We have to be aware of it. It will be a long fight.”
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough also gave remarks at the event.
“As the president has said, France is our oldest ally. Ours is a relationship that goes back centuries to the founding of our two great republics. We stand in solidarity with the French people and share a steadfast commitment to the values of liberty, free expression, coexistence and religious freedom that were so cruelly and violently assaulted in Paris last week. …
“We will not waver in our commitment to combat the scourge of anti-Semitism. This is not an issue for any single community, or any single nation, to deal with by itself. We all must do our part, and we will. From the President on down, you have my commitment that we will wager this fight tirelessly and together.”
Tuesday’s event was organized by the synagogue and AJC and was co-sponsored by about 30 other groups, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, the Greater Washington Urban League and the All Dulles Area Muslim Society.
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