Israelis in France turn to taxi app offering Hebrew speaking drivers
'Monite' offers secure travel for Jewish community amidst soaring antisemitism
Israelis in France are being forced to turn to a bespoke taxi service with Hebrew-speaking drivers to avoid rising antisemitism in the country.
Monite (meaning ‘monitor’) was launched by three French Israelis. Offering the safety of rides primarily to and from airports with taxi drivers who speak Ivrit, the app is being compared to Uber.
It’s currently available in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Nice with hopes it will be expanded further as it becomes increasingly popular within the broader French Jewish community.
Ranked 100th in the Apple store’s list of travel applications, Monite has 150 drivers and more than 15,000 users on the platform.
Speaking to Times of Israel, app co-founder Ilan Amar said: “Many [Israelis] told us that it had become complicated to travel abroad, that they were afraid to say that they came from Israel and felt a bit of insecurity.”
He added: “The Jewish population of France wasn’t necessarily our specific target. But in the end, our app was a breath of fresh air for Jews in France who feel unsafe.
“Unfortunately, it reveals a huge problem in France. We are currently working to develop the service in popular destinations for Israelis, such as the United States, the UK and Spain.”
According to the latest figures from the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France, 1,570 antisemitic incidents were recorded in France in 2024, nearly four times the 436 recorded in 2022.
TOI reports that a taxi driver refused a ride to a Jewish family upon their arrival at Orly airport in Paris, and called the father a “dirty Jew,” adding that if he were to give the family a ride, he would “cut your throat [and that of] your wife and your children.”
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