● A march that welcomed extreme right parties with uninhibited racism
● This new concept of “Couscous antisemitism” stigmatising the Muslim community and criminalising any support in favour of Palestine
Initiated by Mrs Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the National Assembly, and by Mr. Gérard Larcher, presiding the Senate, a march against antisemitism, which took place on Sunday the 12th of November.
Numerous famous politicians were present like former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande but also the current Secretary of State Gérald rald Moussa Darmanin.
Extreme right movements as well as some political parties from extreme left were present, except for “LFI-La France Insoumise”- whose many electors are of Muslim and/or Arabic descent. LFI saw in that march an amalgam between antisemitism and antizionism. Its leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon was harshly criticised for this and many allegations against his party implied that they were supporting Hamas and terrorism, which he firmly denies.
The march follows the visit of Yaël Braun-Pivet to Israel and the claim that acts of antisemitism have arisen in the country.
However, when we look closely at those events used by the mainstream media and politicians to discredit pro-Palestinians and create confusion between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, a few questions come to mind.
Recently, passers-by noticed blue stars of David in the French capital. The reaction was one of shock and disgust as people interpreted those stars as antisemitism.
The Secretary of State Gérald Darmanin, who already knew the truth behind those stars, went on French TV and added oil to the fire by saying that this was an act of antisemitism which was unacceptable. Many journalists implied that Muslims were responsible for it.
It was then revealed that M. Darmanin knew perfectly well from the beginning that the authors of those acts were illegal immigrants from Moldovia who had been paid by Zionists to tag those stars everywhere in the capital, in support of Israel. Seeing that those acts were seen as antisemitic, the authors decided to multiply them in order to ensure the sympathy of the public opinion in favour of the Zionist entity.
Strangely enough, the authors were not prosecuted but expelled immediately from the country, without any further investigation.
A Jewish woman in Lyon called the police and claimed that she had been the victim of an anti-Semitic attack. She had been stabbed twice and a small swastika was found on her main door. Her injuries were minor and the investigators suspected that this was a fake attack. As usual in this case, no more information was given by mainstream media outlets.
Already in 2004, a disturbed young woman faked an anti-Semitic attack on herself, claiming that Muslims were responsible. Immediately and without any further evidence other than her own declaration, the political class, from extreme left to extreme right, protested and gave their support to this alleged victim, stigmatising the Muslim community seen as anti-Semitic.
When the truth was revealed, no apology was ever issued to the Muslim community in France.
This event showed how the public opinion was now linking antisemitism with Islam and Muslims. Yet, antisemitism is a movement that is profoundly European since Jews have always historically been safe and welcome in Muslim countries.
Some are now calling it “Couscous antisemitism”. This very racist phrase combines a typical meal from North-Africa called Couscous with this racist ideology.
The effect is that any support in favour of Palestinian children and civilians as well as any criticism of Zionism and Israel, is simply seen as antisemitism.
Years ago, a big campaign was launched by the French media, criminalising fake news. It was even said that unless a piece of information was validated by the authorities, it had to be fake.
Authors of fake news were threatened with higher justice sentences yet, no rectification was made by the media who relayed the fake information about the 40 decapitated babies. It was also very rare to see on French media any testimonies from Israeli hostages who spoke favourably of their kidnappers. Their declarations, like the one of Yocheved Lifshitz, an 85 year-old Israeli hostage who shook hands with a Hamas soldier, were shortened or translated erroneously.
Abdelali Mamoun, the imam of the main mosque in Paris questioned those 1200 anti-Semitic acts that have allegedly happened in France since the attack of the 7th of October. He demanded to see the details of those attacks instead of getting a vague number. He wanted to have the list of those acts naming which person and which synagogue had been attacked, when and how.
It is unlikely he will get an answer to his question but it is a rare episode of bravery coming from a Muslim representative in France.
The march was criticised by many key protagonists like Ronnie Brauman, former Director of Doctors Without Borders and currently the Director of Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute at Manchester University. Similarly with many diplomats who noticed that extreme right movements which were defending a racist and anti-Muslim agenda, were fully welcomed in the March and that the main goal of the attendees was to show their support to Israel. Not a word in favour of the ceasefire.
Anti-Semitism, Islamism, secularism and republicanism were all associated together in a bid to stigmatise Muslims and anyone supporting the Palestinian cause. This ideological blackmail has the effect to prevent any healthy debate on the conflict and any hope of discussion in favour of a ceasefire.
Emmanuel Macron chose to take a safer approach, maybe in view of the many juicy deals France could get with its wealthy partners in the Middle East, he said that he was hoping for a ceasefire but kept reiterating his support for Israel.
