France in flames: As Paris lectures Israel, riots leave its Jews fearing for their safety - opinion

In an opinion piece, David Ben-Basat argues that France's domestic unrest and rising antisemitism expose a contradiction between its international moralizing and internal reality. He criticizes President Macron's leadership, citing the vandalism of a Paris synagogue, 1,320 antisemitic acts in 2025, and a survey on Muslim attitudes. Historical grievances, including the Six Day War arms embargo and colonial violence, are invoked to frame France's crisis as a moral indictment.

An opinion piece by David Ben-Basat argues that France's domestic unrest and antisemitism expose a contradiction between its international moralizing and its internal reality. The author criticizes President Emmanuel Macron's leadership, stating that student protests over the cost of living have devolved into arson and looting, and that the government has failed to protect both the right to protest and victims of violence. The article highlights the vandalism of a synagogue in Paris' 19th arrondissement, where the Torah ark was forced open and religious items thrown to the floor, and notes Palestinian flags and chants of 'Free Palestine' at demonstrations. It cites 1,320 antisemitic acts recorded in France in 2025, the attack on the synagogue in La Grande Motte, and a 2025 survey in which 44% of Muslim respondents said they placed religious rules above French law. The author draws historical parallels to the Vichy regime, the Dreyfus affair, and French colonial violence in Algeria, Madagascar, and Senegal. The piece concludes with a lengthy quote from philosopher Maarten Boudry's monologue on European riots, which warns that abandoning Jews and marching with Palestinian flags has strengthened extremism.