World News: Paris Pro-Palestinian, Pro-Israeli Student Protests Closely Watched

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Category: World News - Europe

Published on Tuesday, 30 April 2024 10:57

Written by Olivier Longhi

The mobilization of some of the students of the Sorbonne after those of Political Sciences Paris remains closely scrutinized by the Government, which fears a conflagration of the situation and a chain reaction, both social and communal.

Already fractured for many reasons, several of France's educational hotspots, starting with the most famous of them, the Sorbonne, and Sciences Politiques Paris, are torn apart between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli students.

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The movement, which originated in the United States with the aim of supporting the Palestinian population of Gazouis currently under fire from the Israeli army, could, however, spread in a country particularly sensitive to the issue. The Government, which is closely following the evolution of the situation, and for good reason, any flare-up of protest on one side or the other would certainly have the consequence of slipping into other equally political issues.

And a few weeks before the European elections, the government and the executive do not want to see the student world set ablaze, which has always shown itself to be highly inflammable and, above all, a harbinger of future unrest in various spheres of activity.

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Importing the Conflict

However, even if this protest is clearly targeted and does not give the impression of having to spill over beyond student circles, the risk remains present since Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has said he is attentive to the issue.

Secondly, after the opposition between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli students, the latter proving to be not very visible and not very active, the Government also wants to avoid, in addition to a social movement that it would have difficulty curbing, a form of global or localized slippage tinged with anti-Semitism, whereas France has helped to thwart the Iranian response against the Jewish State recently.

For the Government, importing the conflict into the territory would certainly be the worst consequence of the conflict that began on 7 October. Hence the Quai d'Orsay's interest in the possible future truce between Hamas and Israel.

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Although it is now very old, dating back to at least 1948 with the creation of the State of Israel by David Ben-Gurion, the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict almost tends to overshadow the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which is strategically just as fraught with consequences. And the eyes of the world are turning to the United States in the hope that it will channel Israel's ardor.

Oval Office

But already on board via the recent $95 billion envelope allocated to Kiev by the United States Senate, among others, (the envelope also includes funds for Israel, Taiwan, and an ultimatum to TikTok), Washington now intends to be able to devote itself to the November 2024 elections that must designate the new occupant of the Oval Office.

Far from being disinterested in the situation in the Middle East or Ukraine, Uncle Sam is currently playing on a form of temporization, tacitly pleading for a pause in his global intervention. But on the ground, whether in Gaza or Kharkiv, there is no truce or peaceful considerations, for the time being at least. And this is what the French government, and with it other European states, fears, a slow contamination by the ongoing conflicts, particularly that of the Middle East of the societies of the Old Continent.

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Bio: Olivier Longhi has extensive experience in European history. A seasoned journalist with fifteen years of experience, he is currently professor of history and geography in the Toulouse region of France. He has held a variety of publishing positions, including Head of Agency and Chief of Publishing. A journalist, recognized blogger, editor, and editorial project manager, he has trained and managed editorial teams, worked as a journalist for various local radio stations, a press and publishing consultant, and a communications consultant.