France: France has witnessed more than 180,000 people joining marches to condemn a surge in anti-Semitism amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
The interior minister recently reported that there had been 1,247 anti-Semitic acts since the war began on October 7, nearly three times as many as in the whole of 2022.
Prime Minister Ms. Elisabeth Borne, former Presidents Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy and Mr. Francois Holland, representatives of several parties on the left, and conservatives and centrists from President Mr. Emmanuel Macron’s party attended the march in the French capital.
Mr. Macron did not attend but expressed his support for the protest. The French President called on citizens to rise up against “the unbearable resurgence of unbridled antisemitism.”
“Our order of the day today is the total fight against anti-Semitism, which is the opposite of the values of the republic,” Senate Speaker Mr. Gerard Larcher, who organised the rallies with lower house Speaker Ms. Yael Braun-Pivet, commented.
Mr. Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, stayed away from the march, noting that the march would be a meeting of “friends of unconditional support for the massacre in Gaza.” Mr. Melenchon further questioned the attendance of Ms. Marine Le Pen, pointing out her party’s roots in anti-Semitism. The party was founded by Ms. Le Pen’s father, who was convicted of Holocaust denial.
The French Police reported that 105,000 people had joined the Paris march, while interior ministry figures recorded a nationwide figure of 182,000. According to reports, more than 70 events took place across the country, including in major cities like Lyon, Nice, and Strasbourg.
The latest march was organised following a number of pro-Palestinian rallies in Paris calling for an immediate ceasefire. Recently, Mr. Macron has also joined calls for a ceasefire, urging Israel to stop bombing Gaza.
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