“No ambiguity”: Manuel Bompard justifies the absence of LFI at the march against anti-Semitism

On the defensive. Guest this Sunday, November 12, in “BFM Politique” in partnership with Le Parisien – Today in France, Manuel Bompard defended for almost an hour, step by step, the absence of his movement in the march against anti-Semitism organized on Sunday afternoon in Paris .

Firstly, LFI’s national coordinator expressed regret that a tribute in front of the monument commemorating the Vel d’Hiv raid in Paris, supported by LFI, was disrupted on Sunday morning by counter-protesters shouting “Anti-Semitic LFI”.

“I am not guilty of anti-Semitism”

“There is no ambiguity” on the part of LFI in the fight against anti-Semitism, he confirmed. And he said: “If the desire to pay tribute by laying wreaths in front of the Vel d’Hiv monument is ambiguous, then you are going crazy. »

LFI finally decided to take part in this event, organized at the call of youth organizations, after refusing to participate in a large march organized by Yael Braun-Pivet, President of the National Assembly, and Gérard Larcher, his colleague in the Senate. “I am not guilty of anti-Semitism,” he added.

Manuel Bompard, who several times raised the question of the very controversial absence of his movement from this march, justified this by the presence of the far right in the processions. “This afternoon you will meet at the marches people who belong to a party founded by proven collaborators, and this shocks me,” said the Bouches-du-Rhône MP.

“The objectives of the demonstration were not clear”

And take aim at a column written by the presidents of the two assemblies and published in Le Figaro. This week. “The purpose of the demonstration was not clear. There was a forum, and in this text we believe that the only culprit of anti-Semitism is Islamism, he believes. If we want to speak out against anti-Semitism, why connect it to what is happening in Palestine and Israel? We also conflate the fight against anti-Semitism with a kind of unconditional support for Israel. With this text, Madame Brown-Pivet and Mr. Larcher created the conditions for the arrival of the RN. Those involved in the operation to whitewash the anti-Semitic positions of the far right are those who will demonstrate this afternoon. »

Insoumis have since said that he was, in fact, closer to Emmanuel Macron than Yael Brown-Piva. “The President of the Republic is right to add the slogan of peace in his letter to the French. “I find myself closer to the president,” he admitted.

“Why should I punish a person who remembered the historical context? »

Before once again taking a defensive stance in the case of LFI MP David Guiraud, accused of relativizing Hamas attacks in Israel, during a conference in Tunis last Friday. In a short video we hear him say the following phrase: “It was, in fact, Israel who made the child in the oven; it was, in fact, Israel who made the gutted mother.” Then, after hesitation: “I think it was in Sabra and Shatila.” The 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre was carried out by Lebanese Christian phalanxes allied with Israel during the Jewish state’s military intervention in Lebanon. Since then, on social networks, David Giro admitted that he was wrong about Sabra and Shatila, but denied any minimization of the events of October 7.

“Aren’t you tired of distorting people’s words? “An irritated Manuel Bompard. “David Guiro reminds us that we are talking about a conflict 75 years ago, during which terrible events took place. When he says that some of them were committed by Israel, he is not saying that Hamas did not commit them. His trial seems unacceptable to me,” said Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s right-hand man.

Thus, the elected official does not see any objectionable facts. “Why should I sanction a person who recalls the historical context in which the horrors of October 7 occurred? he asked, rejecting any relativization of the attacks. This Sunday, Renaissance MP Violette Spielbout and LR MP Meyer Habib announced that they were going to hand David Giro over to the prosecutor. Finally, when asked about this week’s Assembly broadcast of a film containing footage of Hamas abuses, Manuel Bompard said he would go “if he is invited.” But he wanted “the horror to be shown in its entirety.”