European elections: the “strategy of chaos” of La France Insoumise

Tuesday May 28, 2024, during a parliamentary session in the National Assembly, the deputy of La France Insoumise (LFI) Sébastien Delogu held a Palestinian flag. The session was suspended and the President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet denounced “unacceptable” behavior.

The deputy was excluded from his parliamentary duty for a period of fifteen days and will be deprived of half of his parliamentary allowance for two months. This sanction pronounced by the Office of the Parliament is the highest sanction provided by the institution.

The President of Crif Yonathan Arfi reacted on Wednesday morning to the topic, underlining that holding the Palestinian flag in the National Assembly is part of the strategy of “hysterization of the debate” put in place by LFI in the run-up to the European elections.

LFI also plays a strategy of victimization, the deputy knowing that he would be sanctioned by holding a foreign flag in the National Assembly.

The President of Crif expressed his “sadness” and his “anger” and denounced the “way in which LFI constantly plays provocation within the very institutions of the Republic”. This “is part of a constructed strategy, a strategy of excess, of clientelism, of communitarianism which aims to hysterize the public debate until the European elections on June 9”. Yonathan Arfi also expressed his concern about French Jews, on whom his actions create “a climate of intimidation”.

While recognizing “a certain emotion in relation to the distress of the Palestinian civilian population”, the President of Crif also stressed that this “emotion is used, exploited by La France Insoumise”. “They are making it a central campaign argument in the context of the European elections, it is a dangerous bet.”

The French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal also reacted, describing a “heartbreaking and distressing scene”.

"Let us no longer let LFI use the freedom of democracy against democracy."

Yonathan Arfi, Crif President

Following this session, a heated altercation took place in front of journalists between deputies David Guiraud (LFI) and Meyer Habib (deputy from Les Républicain - right political party) in the Salle des Quatre Colonnes, David Guiraud calling Meyer Habib a “pig”.

The President of Crif underlined how the word “pig” had a “history in the breviary of antisemitism”, just like the cries of monkeys in the stadiums which relay racist clichés. “There is something that is released successively. With each week, each month that passes, we see that a step is taken.”

La France Insoumise is also continuing its strategy of destabilization and chaos by calling every day for rallies in the streets of the cities of Paris and Marseille. Yonathan Arfi also recalled that “LFI’s provocations threaten public order and the security of all French citizens. Calls for street demonstrations divert the emotion of young people and aim to intimidate Jews but also all those tempted to express divergent opinions. […] Let us no longer let LFI use the freedom of democracy against democracy. This is an irresponsible and dangerous game.”