French Jewish community grapples with election decisions amid concerns of rising anti-Semitic sentiment

France's Jewish communities face tough choices amid rising antisemitism as they prepare for a high-stakes second round of elections on Sunday. With the far right National Rally (RN) leading in opinion polls and Marine Le Pen portraying herself as friendly to Jewish people, many feel trapped between extremes. The left-green alliance New Popular Front (NPF), which includes centre-left parties and Jean-Luc Mélenchon's hard-left party France Unbowed (LFI), has drawn scrutiny due to comments from some LFI leaders seen as antisemitic. As the election nears, French Jews express fears that neither RN nor LFI adequately addresses antisemitism.

From other newspaper here the conversations with members of French Jewish communities before the second round revealed a range of political opinions and concerns about rising antisemitic rhetrancents and violence. The umbrella group Crif, representing Jewish organisations in France, along with Chief Rabbi Haïm Korsia, signed a public statement stating they would not support either RN or LFI. Renowned writer Bernard-Henri Lévy stated that all the Jews he knows will not vote for LFU nor Marine Le Pen.

RN's history of antisemitism under Jean-Marie Le Pen and Pierre Bousquet, a former Waffen-SS military unit member, has contributed to its stigma. Despite attempts at rebranding, RN continues to face accusations of antisemitism. On the other hand, LFU's leaders reject these claims but still face scrutiny.

Many French Jews find both parties unacceptable, and efforts have been made by organisations like Union of French Jewish Students (UEJF) to discourage voting for extremes in key constituencies. Some individuals have considered supporting the far right as a lesser evil but ultimately reject such an option. The left-leaning NPF faces dilemmas, particularly concerning LFU's involvement and alleged antisemitic remarks from some of its leaders.

Critics argue that while addressing antisemitism is essential on the left side, it must also confront this issue to avoid denial. Ariel Weil, a socialist serving as mayor of Paris Centre, believes RN's values clash with Jewish values and advocates for distancing LFU from extremes post-election.

The upcoming election presents challenges for the left in rebuilding social democracy while addressing antisemitism concerns and alliances within the political spectrum.