AFP
Hamas attacks: Thousands of people in Paris in solidarity with Israel
Thousands of people in Paris, other gatherings in France, the Eiffel Tower and the National Assembly shine in Israeli colors: two days after the Hamas offensive, signs of solidarity towards the Jewish community are increasing. In Paris, at the end of the day, at the call of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (Crif), several thousand people gathered behind the banner “Terrorism, here, there, same fight, support for Israel,” according to AFP journalists Location. Many personalities were present: the President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet, the government spokesman and minister responsible for democratic renewal Olivier Véran, the Minister of the Civil Service Stanislas Guerini, the Presidents of the Ile-de-France Valérie Pécresse, regions Hauts- de-France Xavier Bertrand and Rhône-Alpes-Auvergne Laurent Wauquiez. Also present are the former President of the Republic Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni, the President of the LR Party Eric Ciotti, the PS MP Boris Vallaud and Senator Yannick Jadot (ecologist). At the end of the procession, Iranians sewed the Israeli flag and the Iranian flag from before the 1979 revolution and received applause. Among the most frequently heard slogans were: “Free the hostages!” or even “Israel will live, Israel will win!” Previously, representatives of the Jewish community were received by Gérald Darmanin. “Whoever touches a Jew means touching the entire republic,” assured the Interior Minister at the end of the meeting, emphasizing the “great strength of the state,” for whose security “thousands of police, gendarmes and soldiers” were mobilized, especially schools and places of worship. – “Time of unification” – Since Saturday, “around twenty anti-Semitic acts have been recorded” and “ten people” have been arrested either for “anti-Semitic statements or because they threatened places of worship or people who left these places of worship,” the minister added. For his part, the president of Crif (Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France), Yonathan Arfi, expressed his “relief that the minister is taking the necessary measures”. a climate he described as “combustible.” “We know that all conflicts in the Middle East automatically lead to an increase in anti-Semitic acts in France,” he added. “There is a time of unity that we hope for.” “I will see the march initiated by Crif in a very broad way,” said the chief rabbi of France, Haim Korsia. The Eiffel Tower will be illuminated in the evening in the colors of the Israeli flag, announced the socialist mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. Yaël Braun-Pivet had indicated that the assembly would be “illuminated in the colors of Israel this evening” and that she would ask MPs for “a minute’s silence” on Tuesday. Rallies are also planned in the regions. At the call of Mayor Christian Estrosi (Horizons), several hundred people gathered in Nice at the beginning of the afternoon in front of the town hall decorated with a large Israeli flag. Further gatherings were expected in the evening in Strasbourg, Nancy, Tours, Lille, Montpellier, Marseille and Bordeaux. In Lyon, the Rhône prefecture banned a pro-Palestinian rally planned for Monday evening because of the “risk of disrupting public order.” – ‘Disgusting comments’ – “I want to tell those who organize it anyway that they will be arrested and immediately brought before the judicial authority,” Mr Darmanin warned. He also reserved the right to “initiate dissolution proceedings” after “absolutely disgusting comments” from “collectives, associations and sometimes political parties.” In addition to MM. Korsia and Arfi, Gérald Darmanin, the President of the Central Consistory Elie Korchia and the President of the United Jewish Social Fund Ariel Goldmann were received. On Saturday, the Interior Minister called on the prefects to strengthen the security of Jewish community places. with the visible presence of law enforcement and the reinforcement of the city police and soldiers of Operation Sentinel. France’s Jewish community, the largest in Europe at around 500,000 people, has celebrated several holidays since the start of the Jewish New Year in mid-September. Gérald Darmanin, who held a meeting with all his officials on Sunday morning, affirmed that “today, despite the registered anti-Semitic acts, there is no clear threat that would affect our Jewish compatriots on the national territory.” On the political side On Monday, criticism of La France insoumise continued because its positions were seen as too ambiguous. The head of the PS Olivier Faure, who has always defended the union of left-wing parties, estimated that the LFI’s statements “will leave their mark” and demanded “explanations”.cg-amd/fmp/vk