high tension before the France-Israel match, as the anti-Semitic threat grows

“It will be a high-risk match” : Laurent Nuñez makes no secret of the threats hovering over the Football match between France and Israel, Thursday evening at the Stade de France (kick-off 8:45 p.m.). Evoking « an extremely reinforced device », « very unusual » for an international match, the Paris police chief announced the deployment of 4,000 police officers and gendarmes. In detail, some 2,500 members of the police should be mobilized around the sports venue, with the support of around ten sections from intervention companies and 70 members of motorized brigades specializing in repression. of violent action (BRAV-M), ready to intervene to dislodge possible disruptors who have come to sow mayhem. Elite Raid police officers will be deployed in the stadium, uniformed units will patrol the corridors while plainclothes personnel will keep watch in complete discretion.

In other words, the entire perimeter will be saturated with « bleu »like during the Paris Olympics. To avoid a violent episode ahead of the match, patrols, reinforced by 200 gendarmes from Île-de-France, will secure lines B and D of the RER which attract spectators and accompany Israeli supporters into the trains. « We mobilized a lot of law enforcement, all the resources of our law to carry out checks, searches, pat-downs, and compare the names of tickets with identity cards. »confided Tuesday evening on TF1 the Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau, insisting on the « exceptional character » of a system deployed against a backdrop of an outbreak of anti-Semitic acts across the country.

Anti-Semitic attacks have quadrupled

According to the latest statistics from Beauvau, attacks targeting Jews or their property have quadrupled since the attack by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. Secretary of State for Citizenship Othman Nasrou specified that in the first half of 2024, these attacks concerned “632 cities and 95 departments ». Et « the accused are younger and younger », since “42% are under 35 ans ». The Minister of the Interior delivered this last, eloquent figure: Jews, who represent less than 1% of the population, alone account for 57% of racist attacks. Asked about a cancellation or postponement of the event, France's top cop was categorical: « No question of going back. France, which is a large country, and the Republic refuse to submit. »

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Faced with the growing wave, the French Football Federation plans to mobilize nearly 1,600 security agents at the Stade de France. Or a system superior to the 1200 to 1300 security guards present for sold-out matches. On the eve of kick-off, fewer than 20,000 tickets had been sold. We are heading towards the worst crowd ever recorded for a match of the French team in the Dyonisian enclosure, which has 78,000 places, excluding the Covid period. The first seven rows will remain empty to avoid any intrusion. Suffice to say that the atmosphere promises to be heavy. Shops and bars in the surrounding area will be closed by order.

A week after the scenes of anti-Semitic lynchings in Amsterdam, the Israeli authorities sounded the alarm. The National Security Council, which reports to the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, « recommends that Israelis abroad (…) completely avoid going to sporting events and cultural events in which Israelis participate, especially the next match of the Israeli team in Paris ». Between 100 and 150 Israeli supporters are expected in the stands on Thursday evening. Everyone will be the subject of constant attention while the Raid ensures the close protection of the team from the Holy Land. The delegation settled in the Roissy area before inviting some media to a training session on Tuesday in Saint-Gratien, at the Stade Michel-Hidalgo.

Flammable climate

Tension has risen a notch since November 6 and the deployment of a banner in support of Palestine at the Parc des Princes during the PSG-Atlético de Madrid Champions League match. Covering the Auteuil stand, the immense canvas bore the words “Free Palestine” with a bloody Palestinian flag, that of Lebanon, a view of Jerusalem, tanks and even an activist in a keffiyeh. In this flammable climate, the “Israel is Forever” gala, organized this Wednesday in Paris, was presented by its organizers as « the mobilization of French-speaking Zionist forces in the service of the power and history of Israel ».

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The Paris police prefect, Laurent Nuñez, did not prohibit this event which, according to the information brought to his attention, does not present a risk of disturbance to public order « important ». But vigilance will be at its maximum. In reaction to this gala, several associations called for mobilization. At the initiative of political parties (LFI, EELV, NPA) and associations, between 4,000 and 8,000 people were expected between Saint-Lazare station and Place de la République in Paris. If there is no « particular threat »the « zero risk does not exist »underlined the host of Place Beauvau, who warns that the State services will exercise in parallel « very special surveillance in neighborhoods, in places frequented by our compatriots of the Jewish faith ».

Among a public who will only be able to brandish French and Israeli flags, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, his two predecessors Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande, the Prime Minister Michel Barnier and the President of the Senate Gérard Larcher will attend the meeting to demonstrate en bloc their rejection of hate messages. Everyone knows that the slightest hitch risks damaging the image of France. And that an attack would have global repercussions.