Urgence Palestine, a French pro-Palestinian protest group facing closure by the government, is challenging the decision, arguing it is politically motivated and based on “false” arguments. The group, formed in 2023 to protest Israel’s military actions in Gaza, submitted its formal response to the shutdown procedure on Thursday.
The French Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, justified the decision by claiming Urgence Palestine incited violence, including acts against Jewish people, and advocated for armed struggle.
Omar Alsoumi, one of the group’s founders, refuted these claims, stating, “This shows the partiality of the French government on the genocidal war that the Palestinian people is experiencing.” He affirmed that Urgence Palestine rejects equating Jewish people with the Israeli government and maintains that Palestinians have the right to resist occupation under international law.
Retailleau stated last week that the action against Urgence Palestine was necessary to “crack down on Islamists,” while also asserting the need to avoid distorting the “Palestinians’ just cause.”
The group’s lawyer, Elsa Marcel, contends that the closure is part of a broader pattern of repression against pro-Palestinian and anti-war activists in Western countries. She criticized the “extremely elastic use of the question of terrorism apology” and the tendency to equate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
The conflict in Gaza has resulted in a significant loss of life, with over 52,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, killed according to Hamas-run health authorities. This followed a Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.
France has seen a surge in racist incidents linked to escalations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2023, antisemitic and Islamophobic acts in France increased by 284% and 29% respectively.
About The Author
