Israel Breaks Decades of Silence with Secret Marine Le Pen Summit in Paris
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Amichai Chikli spearhead a policy shift as the Jewish State begins normalizing ties with Europes right wing movements
In a move that signals a total transformation of Israeli foreign policy, the Israeli Ambassador to France, Joshua Zarka, held a secret meeting with right leader Marine Le Pen at the Israeli Embassy in Paris. The meeting, first revealed by Le Parisien and later confirmed by the embassy, marks the end of a decades long boycott of the Le Pen family and the National Rally party.
For years, the Le Pen name was synonymous with antisemitism in the eyes of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Marine’s father, Jean Marie Le Pen, was famously a persona non grata in Israel due to his repeated convictions for Holocaust denial and his dismissal of Nazi gas chambers as a "detail of history." However, the current Israeli government is moving to "clean the slate" with European nationalist parties that have rebranded as pro Israel.
The New European Doctrine
This diplomatic pivot is not an isolated incident. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has reportedly instructed several ambassadors across Europe to begin meeting with the heads of far right parties. Meanwhile, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli has been building an extensive network of right wing alliances, including close ties with Spain’s Vox party and inviting figures like Jordan Bardella to antisemitism conferences.
The logic behind the shift is pragmatic:
The Lebanese Connection and Diplomatic Fallout
In a surprising twist, Marine Le Pen also met with the Lebanese Ambassador to France, Rabih Narsh, on the same day. The dual meetings suggest that regional players are increasingly viewing Le Pen not as a fringe extremist, but as the likely future president of France.
However, the normalization has sparked backlash from critics arguing that by hosting Le Pen at the embassy, Israel is providing a "kosher certificate" to a movement that still harbors radical elements. There is also the concern of electoral interference; by engaging with Le Pen just as the French election cycle begins, Israel could be seen as putting its thumb on the scale for her candidacy.
Jerusalem is betting that the future of Europe belongs to the nationalists. By embracing Le Pen, Israel is signaling that it prioritizes strategic, security based alliances over historical grievances.