French Jewish leaders ahead of vote: 'Neither National Rally nor La France Insoumise'
The French Chief Rabbi, Central Consistory, CRIF, FSJU, Bnai Brith France and other leading French Jewish groups have cautioned against voting far-left or far-right.
French Jewish leaders issued a joint statement warning against votes for the far-right National Rally (RN) and the left-wing New Popular Front coalition in the second round of parliamentary election on Sunday, after both blocs garnered more support than President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Ensemble coalition in the first round last Sunday.
France Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia, Central Consistory president Elie Korchia, Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) president Yonathan Arfi, and United Jewish Social Fund (FSJU) president Ariel Goldmann said in a Friday statement that voters should remain faithful to the French republican and humanist Judaic values that precluded RN and New Popular Front.
“Faithful to the history of our institutions and to the spirit of Judaism, we do not accept associating ourselves with those who tend to exclude or stigmatize our neighbor, or with those who inflame our society by spreading hatred and antisemitism under the cover of anti-Zionism,” said the Jewish organizations. “No, populism or nationalism have never been a bulwark against antisemitism in history, nor have they brought peace and serenity. No, antisemitism is neither ‘residual’ nor ‘contextual’ as some have dared to claim.”Various Jewish leaders and organizations held particular ire for La France Insoumise (LFI), and blasted New Popular Front for welcoming them into their coalition.
Extreme politics takes over French elections
B'Nai B'rith Frane said on Tuesday that it was shocked by the first round of election results, saying saying, “More than 60% of French people gave their votes to the extremes.”
The far Left embraced anti-Jewish hatred in particular since the October 7 attack, and the far Right had a history of antisemitism and had alliances and candidates with a troubling history.
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