French Jews turn to National Rally: 'We're voting for the nicest enemy'
Jordan Bardella, President of the French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) party, reacts as he attends a press conference to present policy priorities as part of the campaign for the upcoming French parliamentary elections, in Paris, France, June 24, 2024.
Many French Jews are turning away from their prior political mainstays and are voting for the right-wing National Rally in Sunday's parliamentary elections, Jewish Paris resident David told The Jerusalem Post, as problems arising from immigration and cultural change have risen to the forefront of political discussion.
David said that everyone in his synagogue was voting for National Rally, as were many other religious Jew he knew. Many of his leftist Jewish friends were either voting for right parties of not voting at all.
"We're voting for the nicest enemy," said David, referring to National Rally's founder's controversies with Holocaust denial and antisemitism. "It is very hard to vote for them [National Rally], who wants to vote for those who have a history with Nazis."
David pointed to mass immigration and the consequent changes in French society and Islamist antisemitism as the major concern driving the drastic political shifts he had seen among his friends. David lives in an area heavily populated with immigrants, many from Mali, Senegal, or Afghanistan.
He explained that the area had become riddled with drugs and crime, and were not safe for native French or girls.
People attend a demonstration against antisemitism at the Place de la Bastille after three teenagers aged 12 to 13 were indicted in Courbevoie, accused of rape and antisemitic violence against a 12-year-old girl, in Paris, France, June 20, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/JOHANNA GERON/FILE PHOTO)
People attend a demonstration against antisemitism at the Place de la Bastille after three teenagers aged 12 to 13 were indicted in Courbevoie, accused of rape and antisemitic violence against a 12-year-old girl, in Paris, France, June 20, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/JOHANNA GERON/FILE PHOTO)
Many were occupying social benefits because they had no work, the rest employed by food delivery companies. It didn't feel like a city in France, anymore, but a foreign country -- and it was not relegated just to his area.
"France has changed so much in the last 10 years," said David. "The French are not having children."
More Islamic imagery around France
The Paris resident traveled around France for work, and had seen many Muslim-dominated towns devoid of any native French. Despite being a heavily secular country, such areas had become decorated with Islamic religious trappings.
There had been a startling rise in Islamic terrorism in France in recent year, and in the wake of Hamas's October 7 Massacre there had been a massive spike in antisemitism. David described how many felt that the future of the Jews in the country wasn't optimistic, and many of the youth considered immigration to Israel.
Seeking solutions, David explained how the political blocs left them with few options. David said that French President Emmanuelle Macron's centrist party didn't do anything over the years. While the center offered no solution, the left was now inhospitable.
"I am a leftist, usually I vote for the left," said David. "I'm the most leftist of all my friends."
The left had hitched itself to Pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel sentiment since October 7, with some leftist leaders "talking just about Palestinians." In the European Parliamentary election earlier in June even had a French "Free Palestine party," David said showing a leaflet. Left-wing politicians appealed to French Arabs, said David, warning them that if the right rose to power it would return them all to Tunisia or Algeria.
"I don't know Jews who are voting for the leftists," said David. "Most of the Jews I know are voting for [Reconquête leader Éric] Zemmour or [National Rally President] Jordan Bardella."
David had wanted to vote for Zemour, but Reconquête didn't have a candidate in his riding.
"The French don't deserve a man like Zemmour," said David, describing the leader of Algerian Jewish extraction as an intelligent man who had a passionate love for French culture and society. Zemmour had long warned about how increasing immigration could change the character of the republic's culture.
Moving from the Left to the right is a dramatic change for some French Jews, who David said had been left with a difficult choice -- But difficult or not, based on what David said his friends have made the choice all the same.