Mathilde Panot, the head of the France Unbowed parliamentary group, said she also plans to attend the ceremony, and called for authorities to pay tribute to the French-Palestinians who were killed in Israel’s bombing campaigns of Gaza.
On Monday, the same presidential adviser said the guest list was determined by protocol, adding however that it is up to “everyone to assess the appropriateness of their presence, given the families… have expressed strong emotions.”
Walking the tightrope
With France home to the largest Muslim and Jewish communities in Europe, the French president has been under pressure to strike a balance on the latest war between Israel and Hamas.
In the wake of the Hamas attacks, France increased security around Jewish schools and places of worship and initially banned pro-Palestinian demonstrations amid fears of disruptions. At the same time, Macron refused to join high-profile politicians and former presidents in marching against antisemitism in November in Paris.
The national homage itself has been months in the pipeline, having first been floated in October, according to the French daily Le Parisien.
In another attempt to strike a balance, a second aide to the president said Macron was planning a separate tribute to French victims in Gaza. “We owe the same emotion and the same dignity [to them],” she said Monday.
