Protesters in France call for cancellation of gala featuring Israeli minister

By Esra Taskin

PARIS (AA) - Supporters of Palestine in France called on authorities Thursday to cancel a gala scheduled for Nov. 13 in Paris, where Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is set to appear.

They gathered at Trocadero Square near the Eiffel Tower in the capital, demanding that French authorities block the gala organized by the Israel Forever Foundation.

The demonstrators chanted slogans including "No gala in Paris for Smotrich and his associates" and "Long live Palestinian resistance" in protest of the event.

The protest featured Palestinian and Lebanese flags along with banners that said "The West is responsible for the genocide in Gaza" and "Murderer Smotrich."

French politicians, anti-Zionist Jewish civil society groups and rabbis also joined the demonstration.

A Jewish rabbi held a banner saying "True rabbis have always opposed Zionism and the state of Israel."

Last month, Thomas Portes, a lawmaker from the opposition France Unbowed party, submitted an official request to the Paris Police Department to cancel Smotrich's participation in the gala.

On Nov. 4, six organizations including the French Human Rights League issued a joint statement calling for the event to be canceled.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul