On the occasion of the reopening of Notre Dame de Paris, this November 29, 2024, after 5 years of work, Pascal Praud received Gilbert Montagné in “Time for the pros”. Came to promote an album of covers, the singer of “We're going to love each other.”confided in his faith.
He explained to the CNews host that “Oh yes“, he was a believer. And added: “I believe in the light of heaven which is the most important light.” Blind for a few days after his birth, the star of the song quipped: “So, we can say 'yeah, it's easy, you don't see the electric light'. Yeah ok, it's true that it is the light of heaven that guides me”.
Pascal Praud surprised, Gilbert Montagné, “are you Jewish”?
Concerning his practice, Pascal Praud asked him if he went to church. And Gilbert Montagné admitted to him: “I went to church at first, because mom was so afraid that anti-Semitism would start again that she wanted me to have a Catholic religious education.”
And added: “I did everything, I served mass, I know the whole total by heart“. A little surprised by this confidence, Pascal Praud asked his guest, almost as Louis de Funès had done in Rabbi Jacob: “Because you are Jewish?”
Gilbert Montagné then replied with humor: “Yes, but I have my papers eh, no I’m joking.” He also recalled: “Like Jesus in fact.”
Pascal Praud then revealed to him: “I didn't know you were Jewish“. Gilbert Montagné explained to him: “Well no, I didn’t write it on the walls.”
His religion, Gilbert Montagné spoke about it in a book, released in 2011, entitled “I always knew it was you”. The singer, also a writer, told the story of his mother, born Jeanne Kalfon, who changed her name during the Second World War to escape deportation.
His commitment to Israel
In the aftermath of the pogrom of October 7, 2023, Gilbert Montagné also made a public commitment, on Instagram, in favor of Israel.
He had addressed a message to his “Muslim friends”ensuring: “I’m lucky that they are part of my audience”. To them he asked: “don't be afraid to express yourself, don't be afraid to show your kindness, don't be afraid to say that these people, Hamas shame your religionto who you are, because you are not like that, it's not possible. I kiss you“.
And added: “This movement there, It’s not peace in Palestine that he’s looking for.it is quite simply to destroy the country which is right next door, Israel. Well yes it's not peace he's looking for, because if there was peace, and when there is peace, because there will be peace, well they have nothing left to sell these extremist people. What they have to sell is misery, ruin, that’s it, it’s in their sales catalog”.
