The French team receives Israel this Thursday, November 14 at the Stade de France as part of a League of Nations meeting. A match under close surveillance, in a tense climate after last week's violence on the sidelines of a Maccabi Tel-Aviv match in Amsterdam. “We will not give in to anti-Semitism,” insisted Emmanuel Macron a few hours before kick-off.
The head of state was strongly criticized in 2023 for not having participated in the march against anti-Semitism in 2023, as recalled by Manuel Valls, guest on RTL. “There is for me a break in the way of handling these questions on the part of Emmanuel Macronon subjects which are essential”, tackles the former Prime Minister.
“What I could hope for tonight is that this is the beginning of a change, of an affliction. For a year, his absence from the demonstration, his comments regarding Israel or the wars in Middle East, its zigzags, its clumsiness have caused France to lose a lot of credit“, he reproaches him. “It was not so much his absence or his presence at the demonstration at the time that shocked me. These are the explanations he gave. He said he did not want to divide the country. We do not divide on anti-Semitismwe bring the French together around the Republic, around values.”
It is not this match (…) which will stop this anti-Semitic wave
Manuel Valls
“Not wanting to confront this anti-Semitism, this anti-Zionism, not knowing that what is happening in Israel is essential, is not fundamentally understanding what is happening today in our country. This is the main criticism , severe, which I address to the President of the Republic”, asserts Manuel Valls.
“I welcome his presence and the presence of two former presidents of the Republic,” he puts things into perspective. “But he must understand that the evil is much deeper. The best way to fight against Jew hatred today is to support Israel, not just on the day of a football match, but in general.” He also insisted: “This is not what football match and the presence of the highest authorities of the State, in a hyper-protected enclosure with few supporters, which will stop this anti-Semitic wave that we have been experiencing for a year.”
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