French Foreign Minister Visits Israel on October 7th Anniversary

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot is in Israel on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks. "I am in Israel today to pay tribute to the victims of October 7th," he stated, referring to the Hamas massacre as "the most serious antisemitic pogrom since the Holocaust," which claimed the lives of 51 French citizens. In Paris this week, a path was inaugurated in Parc Monceau named after the Bibas children, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir. The inauguration was attended by the Mayor of Paris, a family representative, and the Israeli Ambassador to France, with the Israeli Embassy in France having promoted the initiative.

French President Emmanuel Macron commented on the anniversary, stating, "Three years have passed since the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people, including 51 of our citizens. Three years during which we have shared the grief with the State of Israel and with the bereaved families. The fight against antisemitism and terrorism, everywhere and at all times, and the pursuit of peace and security for all: this is France's commitment."

Marine Le Pen, a leading candidate in the upcoming French presidential elections, expressed her solidarity, saying, "On October 7, 2023, the world froze in horror at the unbearable sights of the massacre committed by Hamas in Israel. Men, women, and children were murdered solely because they were Jews. The sights recalled pogroms we thought were left behind in humanity's tragic history. On October 7, 2026, my heart and thoughts are with the people of Israel."

Separately, the Paris Police Prefecture announced on Tuesday the prohibition of a planned pro-Palestinian demonstration. Prefect of Police of Paris, Patrice For, issued an order banning a protest "against the genocide in Gaza and for a ceasefire," scheduled for October 7th. He cited the date's significance as the third anniversary of the Hamas attack, the expected commemoration events, and heightened terror threats alongside historically high levels of antisemitic attacks in France, all of which pose significant risks to public order.