On Wednesday, Paris saw protests break out against a controversial gala put together by far-right figures to support Israel.
This event aimed to raise funds for the Israeli military and had Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich among its guests. The demonstrations coincided with the lead-up to a significant soccer match at France’s national stadium featuring the Israeli national team, which was already overshadowed by ongoing tensions related to conflicts in the Middle East.
To manage the situation, Paris authorities announced they would deploy over 4,000 police officers and 1,600 staff members at the stadium.
Smotrich, known for his strong support of Israeli settlements, was expected at the gala named Israel is Forever, organized by a group with that same title aiming to rally French-speaking Zionist supporters.
However, after facing mounting criticism about his attendance, Smotrich’s office confirmed he wouldn’t be traveling to Paris for the event.
The invitation extended to him sparked backlash from local associations, unions, and left-leaning political parties, leading to two protests in the city.
Smotrich has been criticized for escalating tensions in the West Bank and recently drew international condemnation when he expressed hopes that Donald Trump’s election would pave the way for Israel’s annexation of that territory—an act seen as jeopardizing Palestinian aspirations for statehood.
The French Foreign Ministry responded by labeling his comments as contrary to international law and unhelpful in easing regional tensions. They reiterated their commitment to a two-state solution where both Israel and Palestine can coexist peacefully.
Critics also pointed fingers at Nili Kupfer-Naouri, president of Israel is Forever, who faced backlash last year after stating on social media that there were no innocent civilians in Gaza following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas.
That evening, several hundred protesters marched through central Paris denouncing what they called a gala of hatred and shame.
One protester remarked on how unfair it would be if an organization hosted an event supporting Hezbollah or Hamas—indicating that such an occurrence wouldn’t be tolerated by police.
While most of the march remained peaceful, there were some incidents where demonstrators broke windows at a McDonald’s along their path.
Meanwhile, another group consisting of Jewish leftist organizations opposed to racism gathered near the Arc de Triomphe chanting against both Smotrich and the gala itself.
In defense of holding such an event amidst all this tension, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez stated that it didn’t pose “any major threat” to public order.