Tens of thousands congregated in Paris’ Place de la République to celebrate the unexpected victory of the country’s left-wing party in the general elections. Although the right-wing party National Rally (RN) secured a win in the first round, numerous pro-Israeli posts on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) have urged Jews to leave France without delay. A prominent X user, Mossad Commentary, stated: “Leave France while you still can.”
While celebrations were underway in Paris, back in Israel, Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman urged French Jews to “leave France and immigrate to the State of Israel,” stressing the urgency with “there is no time to lose.” France’s core Jewish population is the third largest globally, with approximately 500,000 residents, following the United States and Israel.
What drew the most attention was this post “We will have a prime minister from the New Popular Front,” Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the French far-left leader, posted on X on Sunday night. “We will be able to decide many things by decree. On the international level, we will have to agree to recognize the State of Palestine.”
He has consistently refuted allegations of antisemitism. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the far-left leader and a seasoned figure in French left-wing politics at 72, is widely distrusted by the French Jewish community. As a former minister and member of the Socialist Party, Mélenchon has run for president in 2012, 2017, and 2022, securing an increasing share of votes each time.
Concerns among French Jews have surfaced after the second round of France’s parliamentary elections concluded with no clear winner, as no party secured a majority. All 577 seats in the National Assembly were contested. Le Monde reports that the left-wing New Popular Ecological and Social Union gained 182 seats, and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance, Ensemble, obtained 168 seats.
Political scientist Jean-Yves Camus expressed feeling “trapped” before the vote due to the far left’s influence, particularly as the moderate Socialists formed a coalition with Mélenchon’s party. Similarly, the leader of France’s center-right party caused a stir by endorsing the National Rally.
“We are quite angry and disappointed,” Camus told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “As Jews, we feel betrayed and we think it would have been much better if the Socialist party had not entered into this kind of alliance with the far left.”
On Sunday leading into Monday, amid growing uncertainty, prominent figures from France and Israel made calls for immigration to Israel. Rabbi Moshe Sebbag of the Grande Synagogue de Paris expressed apprehension regarding the future of French Jews, advising the younger generation to consider emigrating to Israel or other countries. Concurrently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed French Jews, affirming that “Israel is their home” and advocating for aliyah, the act of immigrating to Israel.
While certain French leaders, such as Prime Minister Manuel Valls, have encouraged Jewish citizens to stay, the circumstances continue to be intricate. The situation holds significant implications for France’s Jewish community and its ties with Israel amidst the nation’s political turbulence.
The situation for French Jews grew troubling immediately after October 7, as various far-left politicians did not clearly denounce Hamas’ assault on Israel. Conversely, Le Pen has been working to rehabilitate her party’s reputation by disavowing antisemitism, condemning the Hamas attack, and advocating a pro-Israel stance. Presently, the party focuses on anti-immigration and Euro-skeptic policies.
Many French Jews assert that rhetoric from the far left has paved the way for antisemitism. A poll by the American Jewish Committee in Europe indicates that 92% of French Jews feel that the France Unbowed movement has “contributed” to the increase in antisemitism.
In the context of trust, the far left has explicitly supported Gaza and the recognition of the State of Palestine. However, the question remains whether LePen can be trusted, despite her assurances, given her history. As France is the birthplace and home to over half a million Jews, their safety amidst the uncertainty of the new French government is a concern, particularly when clear answers are not available.
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