... offered Jews a relatively normal life in France, where they were assimilated into French society. A Rabbi at the time was pleased to state, "Fortunately in France today everyone is considered French". Although Jews were assimilated and emancipated in France by the late 19th century the Alfred Dreyfus case proved that the French assimilation of Jews was only skin deep. People still had underlying suspicions about the Jews. The Dreyfus case increased tension in France because of people's suspicious attitudes. French attitudes towards Jews soon became divided; the government, army and conservative anti- semites opposed those believing in liberty, equality and fraternity. Also affecting the Jews status and position were the many Russian Jews immigrating into France. These Jews were peasants and lowered the status of French Jews. Gobineau declared a racial hierarchy whereby Jews fell to the bottom and Aryans were prestigiously top. The French Jews weren't used to ...

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