The aftermath of the French legislative elections has sparked a wave of emigration requests from French citizens to Israel.
Within just 48 hours after the second round of early elections, nearly 2,000 French nationals have applied to emigrate to Israel, despite political analysts classifying Israel as an unsafe country today.
This influx of applications is a direct response to the unexpected shift in political power from the far right to the far left within a week.
Diplomatic sources anticipate a record number of emigration requests from France to Israel due to growing concerns about the future.
Initial election results, dominated by the far-right, had prompted thousands of French Muslims to consider leaving France.
However, these plans were reversed after the pro-immigrant left won in the subsequent round, signalling a dramatic political shift.
According to reports from “Marianne” and “Valeurs Actuelles,” the Jewish Agency received a significant number of immigration applications from French citizens following the left-wing victory in the second round of legislative elections.
The left’s stance includes recognizing the Palestinian state and demanding an immediate end to Israel’s war on Gaza.
Jewish communities in France and Europe are increasingly anxious about rising antisemitism, particularly following the success of the far-left France Insoumise party, which leads the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (NUPES).
The October 7 attacks by Hamas had previously dampened the ambitions of French Jews to settle in Israel, as the violence during these events was unprecedented.
A report by the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF) in January 2024 indicated a 1000% increase in antisemitic acts in France from 2022 to 2023.
Additionally, a recent report by France’s National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH) revealed a 284% rise in antisemitic incidents in 2023, with numbers jumping from 436 to 1,676.
