The elected representatives of the National Assembly were slowed down before joining the procession. A far-right party such as Eric Zemmour’s party, Reconquête, wanted to take part in the march against anti-Semitism this Sunday in Paris. The day before, a collective was created to prevent them from joining the march: the Golem collective, uniting “Jews and left-wing Jews fighting anti-Semitism.”
In total, according to Jonas Cardoso, one of the instigators of the collective, from 80 to 90 activists gathered to “block RN.” “We knew we wouldn’t last long, but there had to be an expression of rejection,” says Fabienne Messika, who is also part of the movement. Yes, we must fight anti-Semitism, but we cannot do this with far-right parties. »
While La France insoumise called for a rally on the sidelines of the march, other Nupes parties were present on Sunday, maintaining a distance from the National Rally. The Golem team went further. “We wanted to tell them to leave,” continues Fabien Messika. It is an insult to Jewish history that anti-Semitic far-right parties oppose anti-Semitism. »
For Golem, Marine Le Pen’s camp “hasn’t changed.” Thus, he regrets that the resurgence of anti-Semitic violence since October 7 has created fear to such an extent that some see the RN as a bulwark against these actions. The group’s position also caused controversy in Sunday’s procession. “The protesters joined us, thanked us, because they were worried about the presence of the far right,” says Fabien Messika. But others called us useful idiots and verbally abused us: they want to kill us, they want to kill Jews in Israel and France. »
According to a member of the Human Rights League (LDH), police detained the group for some time. If the Golem was also deprived of certain signs, Me Aryeh Alimi would intervene so that he could rejoin the procession. At the forefront of the march is an attorney known for his commitment to fighting police violence and is the origin of the movement. “He communicates with many people who share our thoughts,” confirms Fabien Messika. He did the work of bringing us together. He was a connection, he was a friend to many people. »
Fighting “all forms of racism”
In addition to the media lawyer, there are “many young people” in the team. The movement was sparked by a call from Jonas Pardo, an anti-Semitism trainer, and Jonas Cardoso. “In our environment, people who wanted to demonstrate had a pit in their stomachs at the thought of marching next to the far right,” recalls the second city. Something needed to be created. »
Together they contacted associations of “Jews and left-wing Jews” and youth organizations until the messenger group, “informal at first,” gathered more than 150 people. The figure of the Golem came to the mind of the designer who came up with the group logo. “The tale of the Golem has cultural resonance for Jews and also references anti-Semitism,” explains Fabien Messika. Members’ views on the war in the Middle East brought them together. Golem does more than just block anti-Semitism. “We defend everyone’s right to exist and reject hatred of Jews, Muslims and all forms of racism,” she concludes.
So the movement will not be limited to last weekend’s march: the group wants to influence public debate and bring justice to “this period of turmoil.” Regarding the war between Israel and Hamas, he intends to “lead people to a more rational vision and guide them towards a solution.” “We don’t want this tragedy to continue. Complete demonization of one camp or another gives rise to racism, adds the LDG member. Nazifying Israel or the Palestinians would mean justifying that we can do whatever we want to them because they will be Nazis. Verbal delirium ensues. »
“The goal is for Golem to become a refuge for those who do not find themselves in the fight against anti-Semitism, who want to fight sincerely, while the far right only uses it to promote Islamophobia and xenophobia,” continues Jonas Cardoso.
If these actions are still aimed primarily at the PH and other Reconquistas, there is a “ambiguous minority” within the left, notes Fabien Messika. The latter accuses some elected officials of being uninterested in the issue of Israeli hostages. “Overall, LFI has not fallen into this trap, but only a few people whose political words are widely disseminated have fallen into it. These voices are not representative of their movement, but anti-Semitism within them must be addressed. »
Source: Le Parisien
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