It is presented as “the mobilization of French-speaking Zionist forces in the service of the power and history of Israel”. The “Israel is Forever” gala, organized by several far-right personalities, is to be held this Wednesday, November 13 in Paris, on the sidelines of a pro-Israeli rally at the initiative of Betar, a right-wing international Jewish movement.
This event of support for Israel, for which tickets are sold for 260 euros, was to welcome this year the Israeli Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, known for his radical positions on colonization in the West Bank. In person? Nothing is less certain, and Laurent Nuñez, Paris police prefect, even indicated on BFMTV on Sunday that he would probably not be there. Enough to bring down the controversy surrounding the holding of the event a notch?
“There is no innocent civilian population in Gaza”
Founded in 2015 by Jacques Kupfer, one of the leaders of the World Zionist Organization (OSM), Israel is Forever, which presents itself on its site as “a French-speaking Israeli association for Zionist mobilization”, was taken over after his death in 2021 by his daughter Nili Kupfer-Naouri.
This Franco-Israeli lawyer is regularly singled out for her comments advocating war crimes. “That there is nothing left of Gaza and that we [puisse] install a large hityashvut there, a large Jewish resettlement,” she declared in particular according to the Human Rights League (LDH). Or again: “We no longer want barbaric neighbors. We understand that we must obtain our security and that is through mass emigration of Arabs from Gaza and Jewish settlement. »
In February 2024, the lawyer participated in a blockade at the Rafah border crossing to prevent humanitarian aid intended for the Palestinian population from entering Gaza. “There is no innocent civilian population in Gaza,” she said in a video posted on her now private Instagram account. Last May, the LDH filed a complaint against the lawyer for “apology of war crimes and crimes against humanity”.
Bezalel Smotrich, “figure of the most fanatical religious Zionism”
The identity of this year's guest of honor has also raised eyebrows in recent days: Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, defender of the colonization of the occupied West Bank and hostile to the ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
In 2023, Bezalel Smotrich had already been invited to Paris by the same organization Israel Is Forever, to pay tribute to the founder of the organization, Jacques Kupfer. “There is no Palestinian, because there is no Palestinian people… This is the historical truth, it is the biblical truth,” he declared. France had denounced “irresponsible” comments. At the end of October, French diplomacy said it was “shocked” by the calls to recolonize Gaza made by Israeli ministers including Bezalel Smotrich.
In a joint press release, released Thursday, November 7, several associations, unions and French left-wing parties denounced the organization of this event and called for it to be banned: “This gala of hatred and shame must not take place,” they said. declared France Palestine Solidarité, Mrap, LDH, FIDH, CGT, FSU and Solidaires.
For these organizations, Bezalel Smotrich embodies “the figure of the most fanatical religious Zionism” but also “racism and hatred”. “Today, how can we understand that he is authorized to call for hatred, to advocate criminal acts on French territory, which he will not fail to do, everyone knows, from the moment where he will be allowed to come to France,” we can read.
A “serious risk of disturbing public order”
The same day, the association Coordination of Appeals for a Just Peace in the Middle East (CAPJPO) – EuroPalestine filed a request with the Paris administrative court to order the police headquarters to prohibit the holding of the gala. EuroPalestine, represented by lawyer Rafik Chekkat, argued a serious risk of disturbing public order.
The request was rejected the next day. “Noting that the existence of a clear and imminent threat has not been established, the judge considers that the conditions are not met for him to be able to order the authority vested with police power to prohibit the gala,” wrote the administrative court in its decision.
The prefect of police, Laurent Nuñez, declared this Sunday, November 10 on BFMTV, that he had given his agreement to the holding of this gala, explaining that the event, which brings together “barely a few hundred people”, “ is held every year. He indicated that he would ensure that the gathering “is held in a place which does not pose a problem in terms of disturbances to public order”.
