Jacques Chirac on Anti-Semitism in France in an Interview with The New York Times

We have four million Muslims and the second-largest Jewish community in the world, following the United States, without counting Israel, of course. The second-largest Jewish community in the world. To imagine that France, the very first country to recognize the rights of Jews, could be anti-Semitic is propaganda, not reality. There have been a few incidents, that's true, but we responded immediately - the previous government, Mr. Jospin's government first, and then the current government headed by Mr. Raffarin - with great firmness. In no case were there any anti-Semitic demonstrations in France. Now a campaign led by certain American extremist groups has tried to denounce anti-Semitism in France for political reasons and political ulterior motives.