Best seller “Fight against hatred of Jews” at the Fete de l'Humanite – The Militant

BRTIGNY-SUR-ORGE, France – Record numbers of books by Socialist Workers Party leaders and other revolutionaries were sold at the Pathfinder Press stand at this year's Fete de l'Humanite, September 13-15. The annual event is organized by the French Communist Party. Hundreds of thousands took part.

The best-selling title was The fight against Jew hatred and pogroms in the imperialist era: missions for the international working class, The recently published French edition sold 57 copies. A young Algerian woman working at one of the festival's other stalls bought a copy. “I think Jews also have the right to a country, especially after everything they have been through,” she said, adding that in Algeria it was almost impossible to discuss the issue openly.

Another young woman, 18, wrote to a Pathfinder volunteer after the event that she had already finished the book. “It's great!” she said. “I will recommend it. How can I buy more copies to offer to my friends?” Many of those who received the book said they felt uncomfortable with the almost unanimous position of the left in France condemning Israel for what has happened since the pogrom of Israel Hamas on October 7th.

Participants purchased 20 copies of The Jewish question by Abram Leon and dozens of books by Thomas Sankara, a revolutionary leader and president of Burkina Faso 1983-87. Other bestsellers were Work, Nature and the Evolution of Humanity: The Long View of History, Are they rich because they are smart? And Malcolm X, Black Liberation and the Road to Worker Power, the last two by SWP national secretary Jack Barnes. A total of 254 Pathfinder books were sold.