A ghostly gala, two demonstrations at a distance from each other: the fate of the Gaza Strip, tirelessly bombarded by the Israeli army since the massacre of October 7, 2023, animated the Parisian evening of Wednesday November 13. The holding of an evening organized in Paris by the far-right pro-Israeli association Israel is Forever in support of the Israeli army and in which Bezalel Smotrich, the supremacist finance minister of the Netanyahu government, was to participate heated up the minds on the eve of a France-Israel football match, which must take place under very high security at the Stade de France, Thursday evening.
These events come less than a week after the clashes in Amsterdam during which Israeli supporters and hooligans – but also Dutch Jewish citizens – were harshly molested in the streets of the Dutch capital after having themselves engaged in provocations and violence for some of them.
The arrival of Mr. Smotrich, who openly advocates ethnic cleansing and the annexation of the West Bank, had the effect of a red rag to the pro-Palestinian movement in France, but also to the most liberal elements committed to the peace of the Jewish community. Despite the cancellation of the visit of the far-right Israeli minister, against whom several organizations and lawyers intended to file a complaint for complicity in torture or genocide, the two demonstrations against the gala organized by Israel is Forever were maintained.
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The first, between Saint-Lazare and the Place de la République, brought together around the Urgence Palestine collective, parties, unions and associations which are traditional supporters of the Palestinian cause: a few thousand people participated without the crowds be massive.
The second, which did not receive authorization and only brought together around a hundred people, brought together associations from the Jewish left and the fight against anti-Semitism, such as Golem, La Paix denow, J-Call, the Network of Actions against Anti-Semitism and All Racisms (RAAR), the Union of Jews for Resistance and Mutual Aid (UJRE) and the Warriors of Peace, joined in particular by SOS-Racisme. This was a first since October 7, 2023 for some of these organizations which had never dared to demonstrate against the Israeli government.
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