the controversy in 6 acts – L’Express

The President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet went to Israel this weekend for a “solidarity” trip to this country devastated by Hamas attacks, and also intended to “encourage humanitarian convoys for the populations civilians,” said those around him. She was accompanied by the president of LR and deputy Eric Ciotti, the deputy for French people abroad Meyer Habib, and the Renaissance deputy Mathieu Lefèvre, president of the France-Israel friendship group. “France fully supports Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, a democracy which has been attacked in a terrible way. So there must be no mistake, neither in combat nor in words,” she declared.

“What is important is that the civilian populations in Gaza are victims of this conflict as little as possible. But we also know that they often serve as a human shield. They must of course be preserved, but nothing should prevent Israel to defend itself,” she said.

On Sunday, the leader of France Insoumise (LFI), Jean-Luc Mélenchon came to demand “the immediate end of military operations against the Gaza Strip” during a rally in Paris, at the initiative of the National Collective for a just and lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis. The leader of LFI, who was not announced, made an appearance in the middle of the afternoon. “With many other organizations, unions, associations and politicians, we can together demand an immediate ceasefire and the release of the hostages,” indicated the rebellious MP for Seine-Saint-Denis, Aurélie Trouvé.

On the Place de la République, the flags of Palestine coexisted with those of LFI or the New Anti-Capitalist Party. The demonstration was authorized by the Paris police headquarters the day before the event, warning however “that no excess will be tolerated”. Until now, demonstrations in support of Palestine were systematically prohibited, before the Council of State decided on Wednesday to give each prefect the freedom to decide.

At the forefront of this protest, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who accused the President of the Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet of “camping in Tel Aviv to encourage the massacre” in Gaza. “Not in the name of the French people!” protested the leader of La France Insoumise on the social network X, posting a video of the Parisian demonstration.

Scathing terms which in turn immediately provoked controversy, with ministers Marc Fesneau and Olivier Dussopt evoking in unison “a tweet of shame”. “Here is the subliminal message from Jean-Luc Mélenchon: to designate the Jews as the party of foreigners and of war,” said Crif president Yonathan Arfi, denouncing “anti-Semitic rhetoric,” when Licra singled out “electoral anti-Semitism”.

Unease has also spread to socialist ranks, with MP Valérie Rabault targeting “accusations […] abject.” “Collaboration, 80 years later”, for his part, wrote on chosen by LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard, speaking of a “major political mistake”.

Victim for years of numerous anti-Semitic threats for which she filed several complaints, the President of the National Assembly accused Jean-Luc Mélenchon on Monday of having put “a new target on her back”, by criticizing her visit to support Israel this weekend, saying it was “very shocked”.

Yaël Braun-Pivet denounced, on France Inter, the words used by the leader of France Insoumise: “Knowing Jean-Luc Mélenchon a little, I am convinced that in fact the word camper was not chosen by chance and that the fact that I favor massacres is once again a new target that is being put behind my back,” she stressed. “It’s very serious. I don’t understand why it’s the Jewish identity that stands out: I’m French, I’m not practicing, I’m not a believer but some people just don’t see that anymore,” he said. she lamented.

“The voice of France has always been a voice which advocates the existence of two States, a Palestinian State and to ensure the existence of this Palestinian State and the security of Israel, explained Yaël Braun-Pivet. And today “Today, the security of Israel is not assured, nor the existence of the Palestinian state.”

Asked about the opportunity of this 24-hour visit to Israel where she notably visited Kibbutz Beeri and the site of the rave party where hundreds of people were killed and kidnapped during the attacks carried out by Hamas Islamists on “Saturday black” of October 7, she assured that she expressed “unconditional support” for “the existence of Israel”, not for the “government of Israel”.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon denounced on Monday the “absurd word policing” of the President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet who had accused the leader of La France insoumise of having used the term “camper” against him, a reference according to her to the concentration camps.

“She attributes anti-Semitic content to the word ‘camp’. This absurd policing of words is a pitiful diversion to divert attention from her serious political error”, reacted on X Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

Monday afternoon, during the debate without a vote on the situation in the Middle East between the government and the political groups in the National Assembly, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne affirmed her “support and that of (her) government” for the President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet.

“I wanted to affirm here my support and that of my government for the President of the National Assembly, after the vile accusations made against her,” launched Elisabeth Borne.