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The France Palestine Solidarity Association (AFPS) has, yet again, become the target of attacks and serious threats by a fringe group that calls itself the "Jewish Brigade". These threats were subsequently relayed by websites including those of the Jewish Defense League (LDJ) and Coolamnews, a website boasting that it has an Israeli army officer at its disposal.

After an "ultimatum" demanding that the AFPS announce on its website that it would end its Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) actions, the home addresses and personal cellphone numbers of the members of the AFPS’s management were disclosed. This was immediately followed by threats, via telephone, of extremely violent physical assault against many of our association’s leaders, including death threats and rape, as well as number spoofing.

In February 2016, the Israeli government announced, without any shame, that it would invest considerable means in discrediting or silencing those around the world who denounce its policies. The aforementioned dark dens of fascist methods are merely minions, doing Israel’s bidding.

What we are confronted with is, in fact, yet another manifestation of the constant interference by the State of Israel in French affairs, which we condemned in a recent press release.

Thus far, despite numerous filings of complaints to the police and requests for intervention, there has been no reaction from the French authorities except for the purely formal replies of the Ministry of the Interior referring us to the judicial authority.

It is worth noting that Facebook was obliged to remove the page of this so-called brigade.

We consider the French authorities to be directly liable. Their inaction is interpreted as encouragement by violent groups such as the LDJ, which the French authorities have permitted to thrive instead of disbanding them. The internationally unique decision by the French authorities to criminalize the call for boycott in the sole case of the State of Israel, and the intolerable statements of France’s then-Prime Minister, who equated criticism of the State of Israel with Anti-Semitism, have given free rein to fanatics who believe they are immune to our laws.

Threats such as those we’ve received will not deter us from the necessary fight for freedom of speech, for law and justice, a fight that we will continue to pursue via all peaceful means, including the call to Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions to enforce the law.

Faced with the intolerable interference of the State of Israel, which seeks to mobilize French citizens in a violent manner against other French citizens, our struggle for justice, open to all people of conscience, whatever their origins or their culture, is also a powerful contribution to the “vivre ensemble” (living together) in our country.

The Executive Board of the AFPS