Protests Erupt in Paris Over Controversial Gala
On Wednesday night, Paris became the epicenter of intense protests against a controversial gala organized by Israel’s far-right factions. The event, shrouded in secrecy, aimed to raise funds for Israel and featured notable figures, including Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Known for his extreme stances regarding Gaza, Smotrich unexpectedly canceled his appearance at the last minute. His past comments have included advocating for the annexation of West Bank settlements and suggesting that Israel’s founding prime minister should have “finished the job” by expelling all Arabs from the country.
The timing of the gala coincided with heightened tensions, occurring just before a scheduled football match between Israel and France on Thursday evening in Paris. This proximity fueled the fervor of the protests, which were organized by a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups alongside the hard-left France Unbowed Party (LFI). Activist Salim, representing the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, expressed his outrage, stating, “We came here following the gala organized by ‘Israel is Forever.’ I would rather call it ‘Horror Israel’ because they are inviting individuals whose comments incite racial hatred and dehumanize others, comparing Palestinians to animals.”
Despite the growing unrest, French authorities chose not to cancel the event, claiming it posed “no major threat to public order.” This decision further incited anger among protesters and left-wing politicians, including Thomas Portes, a member of the France Unbowed Party, who called for the gala’s cancellation. Portes lamented, “We’re really angry, because here, in the comfort of a gilded ballroom, people are raising funds to support the Israeli army, which is then used to massacre children in Palestine. This is absolutely unacceptable,” he told Euronews.
The protest, while largely peaceful, saw some instances of vandalism, with a few establishments, including a McDonald’s and a Carrefour grocery store, targeted. As tensions remain high, another pro-Palestinian demonstration is set to occur on Thursday prior to the football match. Concurrently, Betar, a faction of Likud, Israel’s ruling far-right nationalist party, announced its intention to be present around the stadium, raising concerns about potential clashes.
Activist Benjamin-Ange, affiliated with the leftist Jewish organization Tsedek, voiced his apprehensions: “Just to see the sheer amount of police for the match tomorrow scares me a little.” In preparation for the event, a staggering 4,000 police officers will be deployed around the stadium, equating to one officer for every five attendees—a highly unusual security measure for a sporting event of this nature.
