Opinion: Macron makes a firm stance against anti-Zionists
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Much surmising has been done about Macron’s ability to smooth a way forward for the left and the right. Questions were raised about his ability to forge a centrist approach. Now Macron is making strong statements to ensure the protection of Zionism.
Yesterday Macron has advised that he was sympathetic to Isreal’s ‘problems’ with Hezbollah and he clearly affiliated himself with the right side of centrism. Early indications pointed to this positioning when he visited with Putin in The Palace of Versailles, shortly after his election as French President. Clearly there are footsteps being made towards military action within the Middle East. Now Macron has equated those who are anti-Zionist to those who are anti-Semitic. Stating that ‘anti-Zionism is the new anti-semitism’. (Haaretz, July, 2017)
This is also something which Theressa May spoke about shortly after her ascent to the position of Prime Minister in the UK. She stated that even the utterance of the term Zionist could incur criminal charges. We also see Donald Trump making strong alliances with Macron and Trump has clearly set his pro-Israeli stance in stone. Evidently there is sensitivity around this issue and our current leaders are aware of its volatility.
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However, this certainly raises concerns about freedom of speech and our ability to discuss the misdoings of the Israeli state. Zionism was a term associated with the reintroduction of the Jewish people to the Middle East, after a period of being absent for 2000 years, conjured up by the likes of Lord Balfour. This repopulation of the area saw Palestinians being moved off land and cleared from the area, many were killed as a result. The most significant clearance occurred in 1948, after the Second World War, when 700000 Palestinians were cleared or fled off their land due to the Palestinian war. This clearing was called the Palestinian Exodus or Nakba (disaster).
Therefore there is a danger when equating anti-Zionism to anti-Semitism and it is also factually incorrect. This points to a very worrisome state of affairs for the future of free speech throughout the UK and Europe. In addition it appears that our popular culture, political structures and debating forums have all been subsumed by a force that is focused on protecting the legitimacy of Zionism and all of its trappings. Macron certainly does not look like he will be taking a centrist approach as far as Israel is concerned.
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