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| International |
| French ambassador bails on Jewish NGOs |
| 2002-06-07 |
| French Ambassador to the United States Francois Bujon de l'Estang canceled a meeting this week with non-governmental organizations, among them many Jewish NGOs, that was meant to be a discussion of anti-Semitism in Europe and other issues on the US-Europe agenda. The meeting had been scheduled to take place yesterday. Had to wash his hair, did he...? Bujon de l'Estang had accepted an invitation from Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, the formal organization of the 49 Republican senators. Santorum, along with the Foreign Policy Working Group, a group of Republican senators, their staff, and NGOs interested in foreign policy were to host the event jointly. "The ambassador agreed to speak on the issue of anti-Semitism in Europe and suggested four separate dates," said an organizer of the forum. "He was later notified who was coming and got cold feet. He bailed out." Who'd he think was going to be deeply concerned about anti-Semitism? Ba'hais or Buddhists? A large number of groups that signed up were Jewish, including the Anti-Defamation League, B'nai B'rith, the Zionist Organization of America, and the American Jewish Committee. A spokesman for the French Embassy in Washington said the ambassador did not cancel because of the Jewish groups, but because of the forum's format. "Basically this kind of forum is not the best for discussing anti-Semitism in Europe," spokesman Remi Marechaux said. "The ambassador prefers separate meetings with NGOs." He can stand being beaten up one on one, but a whole bunch at once is something else. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |