Radical left leader in France levels harsh accusation against Netanyahu

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the radical left in France, has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of funding a smear campaign against candidates from his party in three French cities. The remarks come amid reports of an influence operation attributed to Israeli sources. The article notes that no public evidence has yet been presented of Netanyahu's personal involvement.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the radical left in France, launched a sharp attack against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of funding a smear campaign against members of his party, La France Insoumise (LFI), during the local election campaign. Mélenchon claimed that Netanyahu paid people to defame his party's candidates in Toulouse, Marseille, and Roubaix, and that foreign interference is becoming increasingly common and remains unpunished. The remarks come against the backdrop of a scandal in France involving influence operations on social media against the party's candidates, which included the dissemination of defamatory content through fake accounts and websites. The affair has raised suspicions of foreign interference, and reports in France have attributed the activity to Israeli sources, including an Israeli company allegedly involved. However, the article emphasizes that there is a significant gap between the claims of Israeli involvement and Mélenchon's direct accusation against Netanyahu, and that no public evidence has yet been presented that the Prime Minister himself ordered, funded, or was personally involved in the campaign. Mélenchon, a sharp critic of the Israeli government, is pointing the finger directly at Netanyahu.