The umbrella organization for French Jewry called for a “blockade” of French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, as well as a massive vote for President Emmanuel Macron as France faces off in its second presidential round.
After Macron led the first round with 4% between him and Le Pen, Crif cited the “weakening of the Republican camp and the dangerous strengthening of the populist parties of the far-right and the far-left, in particular the votes for Le Pen, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Éric Zemmour,” as the reasoning behind their announcement.
The organization said that there needs to be a united Jewish vote to “prevent the far-right from gaining power.”
It repeated its year-long opposition to the National Rally, “whose history and positions are contrary to the republican values held by the Jews of France,” Crif said regarding Le Pen’s party. “Our individual freedoms, our social diversity, our traditions and the stability of our country are at stake. Crif wants everyone to be aware that the true face of Le Pen is the one she shows to the most violent and xenophobic leaders in Europe to whom she is close on a personal and ideological level.”
Francis Kalifat, president of Crif, said that “no calculation, no pretext can be invoked to escape our civic responsibility. We must call for a massive vote for Emmanuel Macron in order to preserve our democracy.”