Daniel Wolfram
A far-right politician’s past comments about Israel have created a national debate in France – and made some Israelis come to his defense.
French far-right politician Jordan Bardella is facing scrutiny over alleged past comments.
Investigative outlet Mediapart reported that back in 2013, a young Bardella spoke of a “grip of the Jewish-Zionist community on the country.”
Bardella rejected the claims entirely, launching a defamation lawsuit and calling the report a “political assassination attempt.”
Defense from Israel
An unexpected defense came from Israel. Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli publicly defended the French politician on social media, describing Bardella as “one of the clearest voices in Europe against Hamas.” Chikli pointed to Bardella’s post-October 7 visit to Israel and posted a photo standing beside him.
The minister also launched a scathing attack against Mediapart’s leadership, accusing them of anti-Israel bias. “We have no confidence in people who spend their lives fighting the right of the small Jewish state to exist,” Chikli stated.
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Other official Israeli voices were more cautious about defending Bardella. In an exclusive interview with Euronews, Israeli Ambassador to France, Joshua Zarka, emphasized that diplomats are monitoring the situation carefully before making any formal judgment.
Kevlar vest threat
“We take all forms of antisemitism extremely seriously,” Zarka told Euronews. “The question now is whether these accusations are well-founded or not. We are following the situation very closely. And once the veracity of these accusations has been established, we will react accordingly.”
Another far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, stood firmly behind her colleague while launching her own fiery rhetoric. She suggested that Mediapart journalists should start putting on “Kevlar” vests because “there will obviously be a response to the way they behave.”
Her fierce choice of words drew immediate outrage across Parliament. Green MP Léa Balage El Mariky announced plans to report the comments to prosecutors, arguing they “resemble death threats.” Mediapart similarly condemned the statement as a dangerous threat against the press.
