While Jean-Luc Mélenchon castigated the “demonstration of the ‘republican arc’ of the RN at the Macronie of Braun-Pivet”, which “under the pretext of anti-Semitism, brings back Israel-Palestine without asking for a ceasefire”, while the RN, delighted, announced its presence at the march, Emmanuel Macron coexisted with doubt. What to do ? Beat the streets and thus suggest that a head of state’s place is in the streets? Madness, he was told; “Did you take to the streets after Paty? After attacks against Muslims? If you go there, you are creating crazy jurisprudence…”, a friend was moved. “We must act, not demonstrate,” said another, and too bad if, this time, François Mitterrand cannot serve as a model. 2023 is not 1990. But… does not walking mean giving in? Infinite puzzle.
In times of crisis, the head of state demands to be fed. Interrogative SMS generously distributed to former collaborators, new ones, visitors, political friends, intellectuals… Quickly, ideas, impressions, advice, which according to the person concerned will serve to “make their honey”, according to the respondents will fall into the deaf ears. The president may not hear but he listens. And his advisors are asked to do the same. A few days before the civic march against hatred and anti-Semitism, it is to possible rumblings coming from the suburbs that at the Elysée we wish to listen. Thus, two advisors to Emmanuel Macron, the prefect Frédéric Rose, interior and security advisor, and Bruno Roger-Petit, the memory advisor, received the former member of the Presidential Council of Cities, the comedian and radio host Yassine Belattar, sentenced last September to four months in prison for threats of death and crime targeting several personalities from the world of entertainment in 2018 and 2019. “He is a thermometer, a resource person, explains one of the participants in this exchange. He is one of these opportunistic sociologists who can alert people to the state of mind of certain parts of society.”
Very attentive to the way in which the conflict triggered by the Pogrom of October 7 perpetrated by Hamas terrorists and the devastating response of the Israeli army can be exported to the French suburbs and strengthen communitarianism, haunted by the consciousness of being at the Elysée closed and distant, Emmanuel Macron takes care to diversify his sources and to pay attention to those who claim to be fine connoisseurs of the neighborhoods. Belattar is, in his eyes, among them. Host with his partner Thomas Barbazan of a podcast entitled “Les 30′ Glorieuses”, he has shown himself, since a first text published on October 10 on his social networks, to be extremely concerned. “Offended” even, he wrote, by “the place of France in this conflict”. “We are the global laughingstock for media treatment of Muslims and this will one day result in the far right coming to power.”
“Jews, raise your hands”
November 8, parodying the song hardcore from the rap group Ideal J, Yassine Belattar chants “Hardcore”, while Barbazan sings the revised verses: “In France, the media adds abjection, Muslims must comply with the injunction, French journalists condemn racism but only if it is anti-Semitism, we differentiate between the victims on the sets.” Humor as a vector of social cohesion.
But, if his voice counts today and if he is received at the Elysée, it is, according to an advisor to the president, because he is “irreproachable”. The same, a convinced republican and universalist, insists: “I watched his show, I found it funny and basically impeccable.” Playing on wounds and identity clichés, Belattar indeed walks on a ridge line, and does not forget to cite and mock any community. The atmosphere is good-natured and the room laughs when in the first minutes, rethought to fit the news, he “makes the call”, asking successively if whites, blacks, Jews and Arabs are in the room . “Jews, raise your hands, don’t be afraid, we are no longer in 39-45! he says. These are our Jews… They are not like the rest of the world.” Elliptical.
To the president’s advisers, he issued a warning. Be careful, he told them in substance, not to make the irreparable error which will give the neighborhoods reason to burst into flames. Then, he took up his pen again on Instagram shortly before Sunday’s march. “I understand and I support the Jewish community in its utter emotion in the face of the events of October 7, just as I have supported the Palestinian people since the bombings of the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th…”
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