Israelis, French far-right threaten Melenchon, other officials
3 Min Read
France's LFI party officials have warned against continuous threats they are being subjected to for their stance against the Israeli government.
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Leftist La France Insoumise - LFI (France Unbowed) founder Jean-Luc Melenchon delivers a speech at the party election night headquarters, in Paris, France, on July 7, 2024. (AP)
Elected officials from the Jean-Luc Melenchon-led La France Insoumise (LFI) left-wing party have been targeted with death threats from both Israeli and French far-right factions, according to French Member of Parliament Alma Dufour.
Melenchon, along with several other LFI representatives, has repeatedly voiced opposition to the policies of the Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This stance has put them in direct conflict with pro-Israeli factions in France, leading to escalating threats against them.
Dufour highlighted two assassination attempts against Mélenchon, noting that LFI officials have been subjected to ongoing harassment.
Melenchon, regularly threatened with death and having narrowly escaped a terrorist plot orchestrated by four neo-Nazis, condemned the ongoing threats against him and his colleagues on November 12. He described the current political climate as deeply "toxic," marked by a continuous campaign of vilification against members of his party.
He expressed his concern for his safety, stating that he and his colleagues "feel in danger." In a video posted on his YouTube channel, he criticized the political-media atmosphere, particularly the attacks from Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who had accused LFI parliamentarians of anti-Semitism. Retailleau had recently lodged a legal complaint against LFI MP Marie Mesmeur for calling out the racist and xenophobic chants of Maccabi Tel Aviv hooligans at a football match in Amsterdam, where Isaelis incited violence against Arabs and Palestinian children.
Melenchon also pointed out that anyone who opposes Benjamin Netanyahu's policies is quickly branded an anti-Semite. He revealed that several LFI members had been forced to change their phone numbers due to incessant harassment, with some even facing physical intimidation and death threats.
Earlier, he had expressed strong support for both the Palestinian cause and Lebanon during a political meeting in Paris. Melenchon also took the opportunity to defend Hezbollah, stating, "Hezbollah is a component of the Lebanese people, and it is not up to us to decide who is a good or bad component."
In a dramatic call to action, Melenchon urged students to display Palestinian flags "wherever possible" as a sign of solidarity and defiance.
He also called for the inclusion of Lebanese flags to show support for the Lebanese people, adding, "Let the Lebanese know that we have not forgotten them or left them to the violence and murder of their terrifying neighbor," in a reference to "Israel."
Read more: Students protest official's visit to Lyon 3 over pro-'Israel' stance
