Thousands join pro-Israel demonstrations in Paris and Lyon
About 5,000 people demonstrated in support of Israel in Paris on Thursday evening – the first such rally since Israel’s latest offensive on Gaza began on 8 July. About 1,000 joined a similar demonstration in the central city of Lyon.
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Claiming that the Israeli operation was “legitimate defence” against rocket attacks from Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, the crowd rallied outside Israel’s embassy in Paris, singing the Marseillaise and the Israeli national anthem.
All France’s major Jewish organisations had called for support for the demonstration and a small number of members of the Jewish Defence League, a sometimes violent groups that the government is reported to be considering banning, were present.
Organisers said they were expressing “love and solidarity” for the Jewish state after expressions of “hatred of Israel and the Jews” they claimed had been heard on recent pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
“We have the same feeling of compassion for all the victims,” said Roger Cukierman of the umbrella group Crif. “This is the result of a war unfortunately provoked by a terrorist organisation whose statutes call for the total destruction of the state of Israel.”
A small Gaza solidarity demonstration took place in northern Paris at the same time.
Both demonstrations went off peacefully.
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