Time Changes, But French Barbarism Doesn't

    Imagine building a dream home on the banks of the Tigris River in Baghdad - a grand mansion with columns, gardens, and fountains, symbolizing your family's hard-earned success. Now picture fleeing your homeland due to rising antisemitism, only to have a foreign government squat in your property for decades without paying rent. That's the heartbreaking story of the Lawee family, Iraqi Jews who are now suing France for exploiting their heritage.

    The Lawees, brothers Ezra and Khedouri, constructed their opulent home in 1935. As part of Iraq's ancient Jewish community, they were forced to escape in the early 1950s amid discriminatory laws that stripped Jews of citizenship and seized their assets.

In 1964, they signed a direct lease agreement with France, hoping a European tenant would safeguard the property. France moved in as its embassy in 1965 and paid rent secretly for about a decade.

But by 1974, after Iraq's Ba'ath regime claimed the house under antisemitic expropriation laws, France found a loophole: They stopped payments to the Lawees and cut a cheaper deal with Iraq instead.

Today, the descendants - now in Montreal - are demanding $22 million in back rent plus $11 million in damages in a French court. The case went to hearing in Paris on January 19, 2026, with a decision pending.

    This isn't just about a building; it's a symbol of ongoing injustice. And sadly, it's far from France's first financial assault on Jews. Flash back to the 12th century: King Philip II expelled Jews from royal domains in 1182, seizing their properties and synagogues out of greed and religious hatred.

 This cycle of expulsions and confiscations repeated in 1306 and 1394, driven by economic scapegoating.

    Fast-forward to World War II, and the Vichy regime takes it to horrific extremes. Under Marshal Pétain, France collaborated with Nazis, enacting the "Statut des Juifs" in 1940 - stripping Jews of rights, barring professions, and "Aryanizing" their businesses and homes.

French police rounded up and deported about 76,000 Jews to death camps, with assets looted en masse.

Vichy wasn't just following orders; they initiated much of this hatred.

    In modern France, antisemitism persists. In 2024, there were 1,570 reported incidents. The first half of 2025 saw 646 acts, up 112% from 2023.

Attacks include synagogue arsons, vandalism with swastikas, and physical assaults - like the rape of a 12-year-old Jewish girl in 2024 or the harassment of Jewish children at airports in 2025.

Many Jews hide their kippahs or consider emigrating

    Then there's President Macron's recognition of Palestine on September 22, 2025, nearly two years after Hamas's October 7, 2023, massacre that killed over 1,200 Israelis.

Macron insisted it's for peace, a "defeat for Hamas," and tied to a demilitarized state recognizing Israel.

But critics, including Israel, call it a "reward for terrorism," especially amid Gaza's tensions and rising European antisemitism

France joined a wave of nations, but the timing feels tone-deaf to many.

    From medieval kings to Vichy collaborators to today's unresolved cases and symbolic gestures, France's treatment of Jews reveals a persistent undercurrent of barbarism. 

Time marches on, but true change? That's still pending. The Lawees' fight reminds us: Justice delayed is justice denied.