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metro >> up front
IMF Scandal
Arrest of presidential contender shakes French Jews.
Devorah Lauter
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Paris
S
hock waves continue to
ripple throughout France as
Dominique Strauss-Kahn,
considered the likely Socialist Party
candidate to challenge President Nicolas
Sarkozy in French presidential elections
next year, remains in a New York City jail
on charges of sexual assault.
The May 14 arrest
of Strauss-Kahn
appears to significant-
ly change the politi-
cal playing field in
France, as some recent
polls had showed that
the 62-year-old head
of the International
Dominique
Monetary
Fund was
Strauss-Kahn
the most popular
among those con-
sidered to be possible presidential
contenders.
It also represents a particularly harsh
blow for many in France's Jewish com-
munity.
Strauss-Kahn — popularly known by
his initials, DSK — has been outspoken
about his Jewish identity in a country
where politicians typically are mum about
their religion. He also has expressed feel-
ings of attachment to Israel in the past,
all the while maintaining a measured dis-
tance from actively participating in Jewish
institutions, according to Jewish leaders.
Among the large Jewish community in
Sarcelles, a suburb north of Paris where
Strauss-Kahn was a former mayor, the
emotion was palpable.
"It is very painful for us',' said Marc
Djebali, vice president of the Sarcelles
Jewish community. "I know him well. I've
even seen him seduce a woman, but it was
always with gentleness. He is someone
who is very warm, and we never felt any
problems of violence from him."
Strauss-Kahn has pleaded not guilty
to felony counts including sexual assault
and attempted rape. He was released
bail by a Manhattan court May 19 and is
awaiting court proceedings.
The charges were filed following accu-
sations by a 32-year-old chambermaid
at a Sofitel hotel in Manhattan. The
chambermaid said that when she entered
to clean Strauss-Kahn's room Saturday
afternoon, he came out of the bathroom
naked, pushed her onto the bed, assaulted
her and forced her to perform oral sex.
In France, Strauss-Kahn report-
edly has a reputation for "running after
skirts," and he may face an additional
sexual assault investigation. While some
Strauss-Kahn supporters are asking
whether the expected front-runner for
the presidency was a victim of conspira-
cy, Strauss-Kahn himself speculated in a
recent interview with the left-wing daily
Al CONTENTS
Liberation that he might face three par-
ticular difficulties if he were to run for
president: "Money, women and the fact I
am Jewish',' he said.
While some are concerned that the
incident could unleash anti-Semitic
sentiment in France, Marc Knobel, a
researcher at the French Jewish umbrella
group CRIF, said he had not found any
significant reference to Strauss-Kahn's
religion in connection with his arrest.
On the contrary,"everybody knew he
was Jewish, and that didn't prevent him
from being the most popular candidate in
France,' said Richard Prasquier, the presi-
dent of CRIE "And that says something
about France. Today we find it completely
normal that a Jew can become president."
Nevertheless, earlier this year a mem-
ber of Sarkozy's UMP party was accused
of alluding to Strauss-Kahn's Jewish
roots and causing a political row when
he said on French radio that the IMF
leader "doesn't embody the image of
France, the image of rural France that we
like, and to which I'm attached:'
Jean Viard, senior analyst at the Paris
political research center Cevipof, said
that if Strauss-Kahn is convicted, it will
both help Sarkozy in the 2012 election
and "it increases the chances Marine
Le Pen [of the far-right National Front
Party] will make it to the second round
of presidential elections."
"It will very strongly shake up the
political landscape,' he said.
theJEWISHNEWSicom
May 26-June 1, 2011 I 22-28 Iyar 5771 1 Vol. CXXXIX, No. 15
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