Faced with the increase in anti-Semitic acts committed in France, Manuel Valls, former Prime Minister and guest of the Grand Rendez-vous Europe1/Cnews/Les Échos is calling on the French this Sunday “to be in a form of awakening”. A former member of the Socialist Party, he criticizes La France Insoumise, and in particular its leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, for “anti-Semitic discourse”.
“This is the first time that a left-wing force, in such a massive way, has made an anti-Semitic speech.” Manuel Valls, former Prime Minister of François Hollande, had strong words during the Grand Rendez-vous d’Europe1/ Cnews/ Les Échos this Sunday. Questioned by Sonia Mabrouk, he condemned the restraint of La France insoumise, concerning the terrorist character of Hamas and more broadly the party’s position vis-à-vis the Israeli response and the context in France. The party did not participate in the march against anti-Semitism in France organized last Sunday.
“Because anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism”
And for the former Prime Minister, it is Jean-Luc Mélenchon who focuses the line of LFI’s remarks. “His tweet on the occasion of the trip of Yaël Braun-Pivet, the president of the National Assembly, to Israel, is an anti-Semitic tweet. His speech against Israel or the participation in demonstrations where people shouted “Death to the Jews! ” several times. And so, when we feed such a discourse towards Israel, that is to say when we refuse to qualify Hamas as a terrorist organization, we are in something very serious. “, explains Manuel Valls.
Is Jean-Luc Mélenchon anti-Semitic? “Yes!”, he insists. “Because anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.” Manuel Valls therefore called on the French to “a form of awakening”. “The fight against hatred of Jews is fundamental. If we do not understand it, then at that moment the country disintegrates,” he concludes. As a reminder, more than 1,500 acts have been recorded in France since October 7, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced at the start of the week.