Chikli is whitewashing the French far Right - opinion
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli's alliance with France's far-right National Rally (RN) party, led by Jordan Bardella, is criticized as a dangerous policy that whitewashes the RN's antisemitic past. The article argues this rapprochement benefits the RN by providing an Israeli seal of approval, while deepening Israel's isolation among European public opinion and younger generations.
Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli is whitewashing the French far-right National Rally (RN) party by forging an alliance with it, according to this opinion piece. The article traces the rapprochement: in February 2025, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar decided to establish closer ties with three far-right parties including the RN; a month later, Chikli organized a conference on antisemitism attended by the RN, with party leader Jordan Bardella in attendance. In April 2026, Israel's Ambassador to Paris Joshua Zarka welcomed RN leader Marine Le Pen, describing the party as a partner. The article argues this alliance benefits the RN by providing an Israeli seal of approval that helps shed its toxic image and dispel accusations of antisemitism, particularly after investigative website Mediapart published allegations against Bardella. For Israel, the rapprochement offers allies that share a common enemy in Islam and Muslims, but the article warns it deepens Israel's isolation among European public opinion, especially younger generations, and among left and centrist parties. The piece frames this as implementing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vision of turning Israel into a self-sufficient Sparta, embracing isolation.