The tensions begin. The gala “Israel is Forever”an event in support of this country organized by Franco-Israeli far-right personalities, is being held this Wednesday, November 13 in the evening in Paris, on the eve of the France-Israel football match, and a week after the violence in Amsterdam . On the sidelines of the reception, the location of which was not communicated, around ten members of the right-wing Jewish movement Betar, which has numerous branches around the world and counts radical members in its ranks, gathered in the 8th district.
Not far from there, near the Place de l’Etoile, several dozen people gathered, coming at the call of organizations such as SOS Racisme in particular, some left-wing political figures like Clémentine Autain, Alexis Corbière and even Raquel Garrido were present in the crowd. Another demonstration, launched at the initiative of left-wing political parties (LFI, Les Écologues, NPA) and associations, brought together several thousand people in the evening, near the Saint-Lazare station, noted a journalist from the AFP. “Liberate Palestine” or even “Israel get out of there, Palestine is not yours”the crowd chanted. The procession was to reach Place de la République.
A secret location
The event “Israel is Forever” was presented by its organizers as “the mobilization of French-speaking Zionist forces in the service of the power and history of Israel”. The association “Israel is Forever”founded by Jacques Kupfer, a radical Zionist activist, is today chaired by his daughter, lawyer Nili Kupfer-Naouri.
Pro-Palestinian associations, unions and French left-wing parties protested against the holding of this event and the announced presence of the far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich who, according to them, embodies, “the figure of the most fanatical religious Zionism” but also “racism and hatred”. A spokesperson for the Israeli minister told AFP on Tuesday that“no trip to Paris was planned”, but it is not excluded that he participates virtually. Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez did not ban this gala, which does not present a risk of disturbing public order “important”he said on Wednesday on RTL.
“High risk” match
The next day, the Nations League football match between France and Israel scheduled at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, is considered to be at “high risk” by the French authorities, who are planning a system “extremely reinforced”, “very unusual” for a match of this type. A total of 4,000 police officers and gendarmes will be mobilized, announced the police prefect on Sunday, around and, rarely, in the stadium, as well as on public transport and in Paris. Around 1,600 security agents will also be mobilized at the Stade de France and the RAID, the elite unit of the national police, is committed to the security of the Israel team.
Israeli authorities on Sunday called on supporters to avoid going to Saint-Denis. According to the Israeli National Security Council, “Organizations that want to attack Israelis have been identified in a number of European cities”citing Brussels, major British cities, Amsterdam and Paris.
On the night of November 7-8 after a Europa League match, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were chased and beaten in the streets of Amsterdam. These attacks, described as anti-Semitic in particular by Israel and the Dutch authorities, left 20 to 30 injured and sparked indignation in many Western capitals. This violence occurred in a context of polarization in Europe, with a rise in anti-Semitic, anti-Israeli and Islamophobic acts since the start of the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza.
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