Hanouka at the Elysée in the presence of Emmanuel Macron: left-wing deputies denounce “a political mistake”

This is a controversial sequence. This Thursday, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron received the Lord-Jakobovits prize, awarded to heads of state who fight against anti-Semitism, in the village hall of the Élysée. But on several videos circulating on social networks, we can see Emmanuel Macron attending the first evening of Hanouka. The Head of State stands alongside the Chief Rabbi of France, Haïm Korsia, who lights a candle on the candlestick, the Menorah, with another candle.

History!
Lighting of the 1st candle #Chanukah at the Palace of @Elysium by the Grand Rabbi of France @HaimKorsia with @EmmanuelMacron
The little light chases away a lot of darkness!@PinchasRabbi@ElieKorchiapic.twitter.com/or58WGDhKY

— Mendel Samama (@EURORabbi) December 7, 2023

“He must be the president of all French people”

But on the networks, the sequence shocks many Internet users, which they consider contrary to secularism, but also in the political sphere. “Obviously it is an attack on secularism,” argues Raquel Garrido at the microphone of Europe 1. The MP for La France insoumise believes “that this is not the first time that there has been an attack on the part of the Élysée”. “It’s regrettable. Because, how can a teacher, for example, explain to his student the interest of secularism if the president takes secularism and throws it in the trash?” she asks.

“I believe that indeed a president should never give the feeling that he is with one against the other, that he is for one or for the other. He must be the president of all French people and as such , strictly respect what the secular framework is and therefore never take part in any religious celebration, whatever it may be”, assures for his part the First Secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure.

A political mistake?

“The president’s vocation is to unite us, not to try to seduce this or that cultural or religious community and consider that there is a favorable electoral terrain there,” he continues. “It’s a political mistake,” said Jérôme Guedj, PS deputy for Essonne and national secretary for secularism of the party.

“I am sure that it comes from a good intention. The President of the Republic wanted to show solidarity with the concerns of French Jews. But he would perhaps have done better to participate in the march against anti-Semitism or to bring them together in a context other than that of a religious festival. Because otherwise, tomorrow, everyone will ask themselves: ‘Why are we doing it with this religion rather than another?’, believes the elected official, concluding that this type of event “undermines the neutrality of the State”.