After elections in France in which centrist and leftist parties united to oppose Marine Le Pen’s right wing party, resulting in the New Popular Front, whose coalition includes the anti-Semitic France Unbowed far-left party, winning the highest share of the vote, prominent French Jews urged Jews in France to leave.
France Unbowed party’s leader Jean-Luc Melenchon dismissed the surge in anti-Semitic rallies after October 7. Last month he referred to the “war propaganda” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding, “Netanyahu has made Israel the pariah of the Nations in public opinion.” He has refused to condemn the terrorist group Hamas.
Rabbi Moshe Sebbag from the Synagogue de la Victoire told The Times of Israel, “it seems France has no future for Jews,” adding that anti-Semitism in France has been mainstreamed.
“The left is once again kidnapped by the infamous Melenchon. Divisive language. Hate of the republic on the lips. Around him right now are some incarnations of the new antisemitism. A chilling moment. A stain: Continue to fight against these people,” philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy declared on X.
“Melenchon’s victory is a terrible signal of impunity sent to the anti-Jewish Islamo-Fascists,” journalist Yohann Taieb echoed.
According to data compiled from the French interior ministry and a French-Jewish security watchdog, anti-Semitic acts in France nearly quadrupled in 2023 from 2022, France 24 reported. In the three months following October 7, anti-Semitic incidents “equaled that of the previous three years combined,” the report stated.
In June, a 12-year-old Jewish girl was allegedly raped in a Paris suburb. Two teenage boys were arrested in conjunction with the case; according to attorney Elie Korchia, the word “Palestine” was mentioned during the attack.
The Nanterre prosecutor’s office said that the two teenagers were charged with aggravated gang rape on a minor younger than 15, violence and public insult motivated by religion, death threats, attempted extortion and unlawfully recording or broadcasting sexual images.