The passage, in the address to the French on October 12, did not go unnoticed. That evening, Emmanuel Macron chose to specifically evoke the fate of the Jewish and Muslim communities, he the guarantor and champion, in these troubled times, of national unity: “I know the fear of our compatriots of the Jewish faith, that this resurgence, there, of anti-Semitic violence, is the pretext, here, for words, insults, acts which would target them. And I also appreciate the concern of our compatriots of the Muslim faith that the amalgamations prevail over reason.” The Head of State has decided: if he wants above all to ensure not to divide French society, it seemed unnecessary to him, including to control the risks of importing the conflict, to deny the anxieties which have won, on our soil, Jews and Muslims alike.
During his trip to Israel and other countries in the region, starting this Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron will obviously try to influence the course of events in the Middle East, but he will also, permanently, spirit the coherence of our country, undermined every day by controversies and political manipulation. “The day Israel, if that is the case, enters Gaza, there is a significant risk of tensions here”: the Elysée knows this, which would so much like to move away from the linearity “Hamas = Palestine = Gaza”. Emmanuel Macron therefore intends to reiterate France’s position, not ignoring that his message is also being watched inside France, by the Jewish community – concerned about the fate of the hostages as well as the right to defend themselves – and by the Muslim community, so attentive to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The president fears the confusion of minds that lurks here. “The endogenous threat is the main one,” corroborates an advisor.
If the Elysée is reassured by its contacts with representatives of Jewish and Muslim institutions, it is the reactions of the communities that are of concern. The ban on demonstrations in favor of Palestine, considered essential by those in power to prevent any incident, was poorly received, as the comments of the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, were excessively exploited during of his trip to Israel.
Darmanin “should not do LFI in reverse”
The elected officials of La France insoumise are waiting for the slightest opportunity to add fuel to the fire. “LFI is stirring things up for obvious reasons,” notes a loyalist of the president. All those close to Mélenchon have in turn denied the “terrorist” character of Hamas, shamelessly exploited for as long as possible the explosion in the parking lot of the Gaza hospital, refusing to go back when the reality appeared ( rocket fire and not Israeli bombing), used ignominious terms to criticize Yaël Braun-Pivet. And Jean-Luc Mélenchon threw himself on the bone offered to him by the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, by pointing out Karim Benzema’s “links” with the Muslim Brotherhood. LFI wants to believe that the message has been sent to Muslims. “Our project is universalist, retorts Manuel Bompard. When Jean-Luc Mélenchon scores big among Muslims, it is first and foremost for social and economic reasons. Afterwards, it is true that we do not spit on them .”
The executive is faced with a real difficulty in its relationship with Muslims. A Macronist tenor says: “One of our voters recently came to tell me that next time, she would vote for Mélenchon, because ‘he’s the only one who tolerates us with our religion'”. Another notes: “When Jean-Michel Blanquer took the fight for secularism and against Islamo-leftism very high, Muslims who had a peaceful relationship with their religion felt rejected.” In this context, the controversy arising from Gérald Darmanin’s statements about Karim Benzema goes down badly with a good part of the majority. “He should not do the LFI in reverse,” regrets a former minister of weight.
Call for calm: the Elysée is now asking the government to avoid any unnecessary controversy and would like to avoid debates that mix immigration and terrorism. The quest for unity places the executive in a complicated situation: since it calls on everyone to be responsible, it is not possible to respond sharply to those who deserve it – at the forefront of whom is obviously in its eyes Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Which has free rein to unleash sound and fury every day.