French Jewish leader: Gov’t knew something like this could happen

The French leadership knew that it might face attacks on this scale, a French Jewish leader tells Channel 2.

Europe is “not prepared to go to war” against Islamic extremism, says Roger Cukierman, the president of the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France (CRIF), the umbrella group that represents most Jewish groups in France.

“At least in France they understand that it’s not a war of the Jews but a war of the western world against Islamic State,” he tells Channel 2. “Europe has not understood until now that this is a world war. The pope said it a year ago, but the people of Europe didn’t internalize it.”

“I spoke to the interior minister and the prime minister” of France about the threat of Islamic extremist terror, Cukierman says. “They knew there was a danger” of this kind of attack.”

Asked whether the attacks will prompt a rise of the French far-right, and make life worse for French Jews, he says, “It is hard to know what will happen after something like this… Maybe people will give this government more support.” But there’s also “a danger that the extreme right will get more success.”