in the Kremlin-Bicêtre, the war between Israel and Hamas complicates relations between Jews and Muslims

Faced with the police officers who question him, the man maintains a surprising line of defense. If he was filming the Kremlin-Bicêtre synagogue on this early October afternoon, “it’s for the beauty of the building, nothing more”, he declares, black jacket on his back and bag slung over his shoulder, before leaving free. The date of the incident, however, raises questions: “Why make this video just a few days after the Hamas attacks in Israel?”wonders the mayor of the town, Jean-Luc Laurent.

In the town of Val-de-Marne that he runs, “Relations between the Muslim and Jewish communities are a model, and I hope they remain so”, insists the chosen one. Interreligious dialogue is even a matter of a few meters: the mosque and the synagogue were deliberately built on the same land, the first at number 35 Kennedy Street, the second at number 41.

“The climate is heavy”

But the terrorist attacks, then the response of the Israeli army, stretched relationships. THE simple sheet metal wall which separates the two places of worship now seems larger, thicker, as if impassable. “Let’s just say it’s not as smooth”euphemizes Albert Myara, the president of the Jewish community of Kremlin-Bicêtre. “It’s certain that the climate is heavy”recognizes his Muslim counterpart, Mohammed Khodja.

Since October 7, the two officials have spoken once, and “It lasted five minutes.” “Mohammed called me after attacks to offer condolences to the Jewish community following the massacre. It really touched me.” says Albert Myara. From, “neither he nor I have tried to see each other”.

In an exchange of messages that franceinfo consulted, one wrote this to the other: “I hope you’re well since we last spoke.” A little thin for men who had conversations regular until then, who traditionally took care to wish each other “Happy Eid” Or “Have a good Ramadan”. They organized an interreligious conference in the city last May. “This year, we did it at the mosque. I invited them to come for Shabbat afterwards,” remember Albert Myara.

“We have very friendly relations, we are friends. In fact, we haven’t seen each other for weeks.”

Albert Myara, president of the Jewish community of Kremlin-Bicêtre

at franceinfo

“This silence constitutes a real obstacle to sincere and authentic dialogue between our communities“continues Albert Myara. The WhatsApp group of the Intercultural Association of Val-de-Bièvre (AIVB), which brings together representatives of the Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and Protestant communities in the area, also seems to have been put in silent mode. The last interaction was on October 13. The joint statement calling for peace remained in draft form. “Everything is frozen. What is happening there, in the Middle East, is not their fault, nor ours. But we’ll talk again later.” says Ahmed, in his forties, seen putting on his shoes in the courtyard of the mosque.

A period “not ideal for common activities”

What’s the point, then, in persisting in maintaining the few joint events scheduled before October 7? The open house operation at the synagogue and mosque, planned on November 21, does it have any meaning? “For now, it is maintained, promises Mohammed Khodja. But it will depend on how things evolve in the Middle East. If there is a worsening of the situation on one side or the other, it is sure that it will be complicated.”

What to also do with interreligious concert planned for December 12 at the Kremlin-Bicêtre municipal theater? The posters have not yet been printed, and the tickets have not yet gone on sale. Albert Myara lets out a long sigh. “Given the security risk, some are asking for our concert to be postponed. We will decide in the coming days whether to maintain it or not..“

In front of him, on a wall of the synagogue, the faces of several dozen victims of the October 7 attacks. At the top, in the center, the dazzling smile of a young woman. “Her name was Shiraz Brodach, she is the niece of a faithful member of the community of Kremlin-Bicêtre, says Albert Myara. She was killed with her fiancé in their vehicle in southern Israel. She was 23 years old.” “The current period is not ideal for considering joint activities”, he summarizes. Pamong the faithful, some would also find “bizarre”, “premature even”, to play music on a common stage, “while it’s still war”, “while there are deaths every day”.

“FFrench before being pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian”

Since the attacks that occurred in early October in Israel, patrols have been reinforced in the neighborhood. THE soldiers of the Vigipirate plan are circulatingEvery day from now on, and no longer just during worship. The mayor knock on wood: to date, no skirmishes, no insults, no tags has only just been reported “around ten pro-Palestine stickers [sur des murs et des panneaux de signalisation] that our teams have systematically removed.” “For the moment, so good”, breathes the chosen one. In Kremlin-Bicêtre, none of the 25,000 inhabitants have forgotten one Molotov cocktail was thrown in the middle of the night against the synagogue in April 2002, without causing any injuries.

At the time, the second Intifada ignited the Middle East. Twenty-one years later, pNo one, absolutely no one, wants the conflict to matter. If necessary, the Buddhist community, located 150 meters from the mosque and the synagogue, is even ready to act as intermediary. “To come to the temple, I pass every day in front of the synagogue and the mosque, describes Doan Maung. If we can help, we will. Why not invite the faithful Muslims and Jews to our Vietnamese New Year?”

During his Friday sermons, the mosque’s imam asks for peace and prays for the children who are dying. “We must manage to continue to live together, in a harmonious way, repeats Mohammed Khodja for his part. I tell the faithful to go see our Jewish neighbors without any apprehension, beyond the problems that can arise anywhere in the world. What I ask of the faithful is to be French before being pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian.”