Act against anti-Semitism brings together 180 thousand in France

The protests against anti-Semitism in France, triggered by the war between Israel and Hamas, brought together 105 thousand protesters in Paris alone this Sunday (13). One of the highlights of the demonstration was the participation of Marine Le Pen and members of her far-right Rassemblement National party, criticized for past positions considered anti-Semitic.

It was the biggest mobilization against anti-Semitism in the country since the protest against acts of vandalism at the Jewish cemetery in Carpentra, in the south of France, in 1990, according to BFM TV, a CNN affiliate.

Politicians such as French Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne and former presidents François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy participated in the demonstration. Together, they carried a banner saying: “For the Republic, against anti-Semitism.”

Protesters also marched in Nice, Lyon and Marseille, but in smaller protests. In total, more than 182 thousand people took to the streets across the country, according to data from the French Ministry of the Interior, the equivalent of the Ministry of Security in Brazil.

French President Emmanuel Macron did not participate in the demonstrations, but in a letter published in the newspaper Le Parisien, he condemned “the unbearable resurgence of rampant anti-Semitism.” And he said that more than 1,000 anti-Semitic acts were recorded in France in a single month, a number three times higher than in the entire year 2022.

On social media, Macron also stated that “a France where our Jewish fellow citizens are afraid is not France”.

The far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, also attended the protests with the leaders of her National Regroupment party, even after criticism from opponents. Although marching a little further back and somewhat isolated, Le Pen and her supporters defended her presence in the protests. “We are exactly where we should be,” said Le Pen.

Marine Le Pen’s father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, said in 1987 that the gas chambers of Nazi concentration camps were a “point of detail in the history of the Second World War.” He was condemned by the courts for the comments, which led to the process of “demonization” of the National Regroupment party, at the time called the National Front.

Jean-Marie Le Pen was initially condemned in the 1990s, but reiterated his comments in 2015, which led to him being excluded from the party by Marine Le Pen. He was sentenced again in April 2016 to pay a fine of 30 thousand euros.

Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticized the march featuring Marine Le Pen, and his France Insoumise (La France Insoumise) party held its own protest against anti-Semitism early on Sunday.

After commenting on bombing civilians, Macron calls the president of Israel

Also on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated France’s solidarity with Israel, after being criticized by Israel for comments in an interview.

On Friday, Macron told the BBC that a ceasefire was “the only solution” to the situation in Gaza, and accused Israel of attacking civilians. “In fact, today civilians are bombed. These babies, these ladies, these elderly people are bombed and killed. Therefore, there is no reason for this, nor legitimacy. Therefore, we urge Israel to stop,” he told the BBC.

After the comment about bombing civilians, Macron called Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday. According to a statement from the Elysee Palace, Macron said that Israel has the right to defend itself “in accordance with international humanitarian law” and added that “the threat of terrorist groups in Gaza had to be eliminated”.

The Israeli presidency said that the French president “clarified” in the phone call the statements that “caused a lot of pain and annoyance in Israel.”