France’s far right party shifted away from past anti-Semitism

On Nov 19, 2023

A man holds a placard reading "Citizens all together against anti-semitism" during a demonstration against anti-semitism in Marseille, south-eastern France, on November 12, 2023. Tensions have been rising in the French capital, home to large Jewish and Muslim communities, in the wake of the October 7 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel, followed by a month of Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip. (Photo by CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU / AFP)

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – France’s far-right National Rally has used the war between Israel and Hamas as a way to bolster its support for French Jews.

RFI reported it is a U-turn for the party founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen, who famously called the Holocaust a “detail” of history.

By shifting away from anti-Semitism and focusing on the threats of radical Islam, daughter Marine Le Pen is transforming far-right tactics in a way that has divided French politics.

On Sunday, 12 November, nearly 190,000 people marched in cities around France against anti-Semitism and in solidarity with French Jews.

France’s Jewish community has been facing an unprecedented wave of anti-Semitism since the militant Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, and Israel retaliated with a massive bombing campaign on Gaza.

As of 14 November, 1,518 anti-Semitic offences had been officially recorded since the Hamas assault, nearly three times as many as in all of 2022, according to the Interior Ministry.

Last weekend’s march, organised by the heads of both houses of parliament, unified most political leaders across the spectrum – with some notable exceptions.

President Emmanuel Macron did not attend, though he expressed support for it and other members of his party were there.