Rape of Jewish girl ignites antisemitism debate in French election campaign
FRANCE-The reported sexual assault of a 12-year-old Jewish girl in what is believed to be an antisemitic incident has shocked the entire country and elevated antisemitism fears in the run-up to the parliamentary elections.
How is antisemitism shaping the French election campaign?
After attempting to distance itself from antisemitic past, the anti-immigration National Rally party is leading in pre-election polls and might form a government for the first time if it wins the two-round elections that conclude on July 7. Since the Nazi occupation, it would be the first far-right force to take control of a French government. Meanwhile, far-left leaders have been charged with antisemitism in connection with their reaction to the conflict that followed Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Prosecutors in a Paris neighborhood this week filed preliminary accusations against two teenage males for the rape of a 12-year-old girl and for acts of violence motivated by religion, raising concerns. The girl is Jewish, and the word Palestine was uttered during the incident, according to lawyer and Jewish activist Elie Korchia, who spoke with French television BFM. For the second night in a row, hundreds of protesters demonstrated against antisemitism on Thursday 20 June 2024 night in front of the Bastille monument in Paris.
What impact will the rape case have on French politics?
Despite having the biggest Jewish population in Europe, antisemitic incidents still cause wounds because of France’s involvement with the Nazis during World War II. The majority of Muslims in western Europe reside in France, where there has also been an increase in anti-Muslim incidents in recent years. Politicians jumped to react on the attack, particularly in light of the recent spike in antisemitic incidents in France since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict. While French President Emmanuel Macron urged schools to have a “discussion hour” on racism and antisemitism, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal tweeted on X that the child was “raped because she’s Jewish.”
The National Rally’s president, Jordan Bardella, declared that he will “fight the antisemitism that has been plaguing France since Oct. 7” if elected. Following the incident, Bardella declared that his party would no longer support one of its candidates due to a 2018 social media post that contained antisemitic remarks. The National Rally’s 2022 presidential contender and his predecessor as party president, Marine Le Pen, charged that the “extreme left” was “instrumentalizing” the Israel-Hamas conflict and “stigmatizing Jews.”
Is anti semitism becoming a central issue in France’s election?
According to apnews, The leftist leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon condemned “antisemitic racism,” despite the fact that his former party, France Unbowed, has been accused of antisemitism related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The League of Human Rights vice-president and attorney Arié Alimi demanded a unified front against the radical right. “At the demonstration on Thursday, he stated that there is a growing recognition that antisemitism exists among the left as well and that it must be addressed.” “Today, the left and progressives are united with all those who are concerned about racism and antisemitism in France at this specific political juncture, when the far right may gain power.” As per keyt, The reported sexual assault of a 12-year-old Jewish girl in what is believed to be an antisemitic incident has shocked the entire country and elevated antisemitism fears in the run-up to the parliamentary elections. If the National Rally party wins the two-round elections that conclude on July 7, it will have its first legitimate opportunity to establish a government.
The party is currently ahead in the polls. It is far from a new topic in French politics, even if the alleged rape has raised antisemitic tensions in France prior to the two-round legislative election scheduled on July 7 and June 30. In November, around 180,000 people marched through France to express disapproval of the growing antisemitism after Israel’s protracted conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Le Pen attended the march alongside then-Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and members of many other parties, despite harsh criticism that her once-pariah National Rally party had not been able to overcome its antisemitic past while gaining political clout.
Call to action: Boycott Pairs Olympics 2024
Paris the city of flowers is not safe for immigrants and for its public also. Street crimes, rapes, racism and many more issues are raising day by day. The event of Olympics 2024 is also near to start but the government has not yet made any proper arrangements for this event. Fans and the public should boycott this event in case of their security.
