All Israel News Staff
All Israel News, Mar. 20, 2025
“I just think the State of Israel needs to look at the bigger picture and balance the interests of Jewish communities with those of Israel. In my view, the most severe challenge to Jewish communities in Europe is radical Islam.”
Israel’s Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli hit back at a torrent of criticism and cancellations over invitations of European right-wing leaders to an antisemitism conference set to take place in Jerusalem next week.
“I reject the claim that right-wing parties are the primary threat to Jewish life in Europe,” Chikli said during an interview with Israel Hayom.
Most high-profile European guests canceled their planned appearances at the conference after being told that several right-wing leaders would also attend.
The invitees who caused most of the criticism are two French politicians: Jordan Bardella who is the president of the National Rally Party, whose founder Jean-Marie Le Pen was a convicted Holocaust denier; and his granddaughter Marion Maréchal, a Member of the European Parliament.
Chikli pointed out that Bardella “demanded clarifications in the European Union about UNRWA’s ties to Hamas and spoke out against a Palestinian state post-Oct. 7. He and Marine Le Pen condemned the ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant. Marine Le Pen also expelled her father from the party, and he was indeed an Israel-hater.” ….SOURCE