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Responding to a serious need. [IsraelTimes] As a Jewish woman, Levana has always been anxious about using taxis in France, especially when alone. Those concerns were compounded after the outbreak of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in 2023.
“Since October 7, things have become really complicated, the doubts and the fear are really much more intense,” said the 37-year-old French-Israeli.
But that was before. For some time now, Levana has found peace of mind in a new taxi application called Monite.
“Someone told me about this app, I tried it, and what a joy it is to feel safe. It’s priceless,” said Levana, who now uses it all the time in France.
Launched last September by three Franco-Israelis, the app, similar to Uber, offers rides with taxi drivers who have a command of Hebrew and are familiar with Jewish culture.
“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,” said Ilan Amar, one of Monite’s co-founders.
The app also quickly became popular in the greater French Jewish community due to a rise in already rampant antisemitism.
“The Jewish population of France wasn’t necessarily our specific target,” said Amar. “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.”
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