The stand of honor at the Stade de France will have one more guest this Thursday during the France-Israel match. After Emmanuel Macron, Nicolas Sarkozy and Michel Barnier, it was François Hollande who announced that he would attend the meeting.
The former President of the Republic explained to Parisian that he would go there as a message of support to the Jewish community. While he had other commitments planned for a long time for the evening, the socialist MP would have changed his plans in the face of the violent anti-Semitic attacks that occurred in Amsterdam on the night of last Thursday to Friday.
“The fight against anti-Semitism”
“The president (François Hollande) is fully aware of the dimension that the match takes in terms of what is at stake. A symbol which embodies the fight against anti-Semitism, and to which he is and will always be committed,” his office explained to the daily.
Emmanuel Macron, for his part, announced on Sunday his presence during the meeting between the Blues and their Israeli counterparts in order to “send a message of fraternity and solidarity after the intolerable anti-Semitic acts” that occurred in Amsterdam. Prime Minister Michel Barnier, Bruno Retailleau and government spokesperson Maud Bregeon will also attend.
4,000 police officers and gendarmes
Given the very sensitive context, the gauge of the Stade de France has been largely revised downwards. Only 20,000 supporters will attend this meeting, part of the fifth day of the Nations League.
To secure the enclosure and the surrounding area, Bruno Retailleau announced an unprecedented deployment of law enforcement: 4,000 police officers and gendarmes. They will be present around and, rarely, in the stadium, as well as on public transport and in Paris. The Raid, the elite unit of the national police, will also be engaged for the security of the Israel team, continued Laurent Nuñez.
This match comes a week after that between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv, which was followed by violence targeting Israeli supporters in the Dutch city. The Israeli authorities also called on supporters on Sunday not to go to the Stade de France this Thursday.
