Is there a future for French Jewry in France? It’s a question that’s been asked many times for many years but has taken on new urgency in the wake of the stunning results of the snap elections on Sunday, with a coalition of far-left parties, including an antisemitic party, winning the most seats.
The leaders of the left-wing parties, despite many differences between them, successfully mobilized before the snap elections and formed a leftist alliance, the New Popular Front, against the far-right. The most prominent leader of the alliance is Jean-Luc Melenchon, the head of the antisemitic France Unbowed party.
Melenchon has called French Jewry “an arrogant minority that lectures to the rest,” celebrated anti-Israel rioters after they stormed a shul, and describes Israel as a colonial state. Under Melechon’s leadership, the New Popular Front has made the Palestinians its cause célèbre. One of the main figures in Melechon’s party called the Hamas assault on October 7th a “legitimate action.”
French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy wrote following the election: ““The left is once again kidnapped by the infamous Melenchon. Divisive language. Hate of the republic on the lips. Around him right now are some incarnations of the new antisemitism. A chilling moment. A stain: Continue to fight against these people.”
French-Jewish journalist Yohann Taieb wrote: “Mélenchon’s victory sends a horrifying message of impunity to all anti-Jewish Islamo-fascists.”
Meyer Habib, a frum Jew who served four consecutive terms in the French National Assembly, narrowly lost his seat in the elections to Caroline Yadan, another Jewish candidate from French President Emmanuel Macron’s party who is considered pro-Israel.
Habib, who represented the 8th constituency, which mainly represents French residents overseas, including Israel, the PA, Gaza, Italy, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta and Greece, won 85% of the votes in Israel.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
Melenchon has called French Jewry “an arrogant minority EU should refuse to work along with him, and mandate Frexit if he doesn’t get his act together.
I’m sure Britain is not regretting Brexit when looking at these French election results.
Do the two parts of the headline have any connection, or is this just another piece of click-bait? Habib lost to a different pro-Israel Jew.
The left didn’t really win since France has a somewhat proportional system (if they had “first past the post” as Britain does, it would have been a landslide). No party is close to a majority, and neither the far-right (nationalists) and far-left (a diverse coalition of socialists) are likely to have meaningful control of anything since the “center” alone can deal with with both, and for the next few years, it appears certain that the President (who in France is vastly more powerful than an American president) will stay in control.
frum ?! Huge hillul hashem ! Good is out !
Jews have nothing to do in goyim’s congress
No party won an outright majority and Macron is still the president. This was a legislative election and it’s yet to be seen who will be the prime minister.
French Jews should move to the United States.
Time for French Jews to move to America.
this is what happens when fools think judaism is zionism
emetsealofhashem: Please know what you are talking about before you post comments. Some of our great sages served in various parliaments. Rabbis Avraham Zvi Perlmutter and Aaron Lewin of Rzeszow were Torah giants who served in the Polish Sejm. Rabbi Simon Federbusch, longtime principal of Mesifta Rabbi Israel Salanter in the Bronx, also served in the Sejm.