This is an event that already promises to be very tense. This Wednesday evening, a gala in support of Israel will be held in Paris, organized by the organization “Israel is Forever”. The latter explains that it aims “the mobilization of French-speaking Zionist forces in the service of the power and history of Israel”. On the eve of the France-Israel football match, deemed “high risk” by the French authorities after the violence that occurred in Amsterdam last week Having passed, this evening also already presents the profile of a risky event, given the context. But it was above all the star guest of this gala who provoked numerous reactions and condemnations: Bezalel Smotrich, Israeli Minister of Finance and. far-right figure in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Supporter of a recolonization of the Gaza Strip, he is also responsible within the Israeli government for “civil activities” of Israeli colonies in the West Bank, an unprecedented role in the Israeli executive. This Monday, the latter affirmed that 2025 would be “the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria”, the term used by the Israeli authorities for the occupied West Bank, affirming that the election of Donald Trump was “an opportunity” to achieve this annexation.
Bezalel Smotrich had already distinguished himself from numerous other controversial statements, regularly condemned by the international community, including France. Last August, regarding civilians in Gaza, he declared that “no one in the world will let us starve two million people, although perhaps it would be justified and moral to free the hostages.” Describing himself as a “homophobic fascist”this Jewish supremacist calls for the creation of a “greater Israel” throughout the Middle East, as he himself says in an Arte documentary, Israel: ministers of chaos, stating that it is “written that the future of Jerusalem is to extend to Damascus.”
“A threat to democracy in Israel and around the world”
The holding of this gala in Paris and in particular the arrival of Bezalel Smotrich caused reactions and condemnations from numerous NGOs and unions, who called for it to be banned. “This gala of hatred and shame must not take place,” demanded France Palestine Solidarité, Mrap, LDH, FIDH, CGT, FSU and Solidaires in a joint press release released last Thursday. The latter denounced in particular the announced presence of the far-right Israeli minister who embodies, according to them, “the figure of the most fanatical religious Zionism” but also “racism and hatred”. Another fifteen associations, including the collective of “left-wing Jews” Golem, SOS Racisme and the Action Network against Anti-Semitism and all Racisms, also called for this gala to be banned, denouncing the arrival of Bezalel Smotrich , “a fascist, a racist and a threat to democracy in Israel and around the world.”
THE administrative court of Paris for its part explained that “no details on the organization of the planned gala, with the exception of the names of two invited personalities, did not make it possible to establish the existence of an imminent danger of particular gravity”, and therefore that the conditions were not met to cancel this event.
Apart from the very controversial figure of Bezalel Smotrich, the organizer of the event, Nili Kupfer-Naour, is also targeted. President of the “Israel is Forever” association, she has also made herself known through polemical remarks. “There is no innocent civilian population in Gaza,” she declared on October 26, 2023 on the CNews set. “From the sea to the Jordan, there can only be one State: the State of Israel. This is the most obvious conclusion of October 7,” she also wrote on his account (ex-Twitter) on October 31.
Nili Kupfer-Naour firmly defends this position during all her media interventions. “As long as there is no Jewish population established again and Jewish sovereignty declared over the entire Gaza Strip, we cannot have real peace,” she insisted on the set. from I24 News on September 27. She also appeared on her social networks participating in the blockade of humanitarian aid at the Rafah crossing. The Human Rights League announced that it had filed a complaint against him on May 30 for “apology of war crimes and crimes against humanity”.
A visit finally canceled?
This Tuesday, a turnaround finally seems to have occurred: Bezalel Smotrich should not come to the “Israel Forever” gala. “No trip to Paris was planned,” the spokesperson for the Israeli minister told AFP, even if the minister could intervene remotely. The “Israel is Forever” association also announces that it is still at the center of its event.
Paris police chief Laurent Nunez, for his part, said this Sunday that he understood “that he will not be there”, regarding Bezalel Smotrich, also adding that he “will not ban” this gala. “I have no reason to do it,” he declared on the BFMTV set. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot assured this Tuesday that he had no “confirmation of his coming to France”. But, as we recall The World, for the previous Israel Forever gala in 2023, Israeli media initially announced its cancellation. Before the gala finally takes place, in the presence of… Bezalel Smotrich. A surprise cannot therefore be ruled out this Wednesday evening.