Why does the Israel-Palestine conflict ignite so much passion in France? – Technologist

The scene took place at the height of the Yellow Vests crisis. Bertrand Badie, a now-retired professor of international relations at Sciences Po Paris, was enjoying a coffee on a Parisian terrace when suddenly a procession of demonstrators dressed in their high-vis vests passed by. Among them, he spotted a Palestinian flag. He rushed out of his chair and approached the woman waving it. He asked her: Why? “Because they’re like us, they’re suffering,” she replied, in substance.

The anecdote, which took place years before October 7, 2023, illustrates how far the symbols of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict carry. One theme, notably, is that of the weak against the strong, David against Goliath. Biblical references are never far away in the confrontation for a land that saw the birth of the three great monotheistic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in order of appearance. But is it a war of religion? Is it one of history, territory, or morality? All these aspects are intertwined in what is becoming the “Hundred Years’ War” of modern times. It is a multi-dimensional conflict whose echoes reverberate from the halls of the United Nations down to each person’s heart, a conflict that travels across borders and tears apart the international community, societies, communities, families and individuals. French society is on edge about it. It’s a conflict into which each individual projects their vision of the world, their convictions, their values, their most deeply held beliefs.

In France, evidence of the interest aroused by what’s happening between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River can be measured in the best-seller charts. A comic book by Christophe Gaultier and the historian Vincent Lemire, Histoire de Jérusalem (“History of Jerusalem,” 2022) has just passed the threshold of 300,000 copies sold. Although the book was popular before Hamas’s attack on Israel, it has since gained momentum, thanks in particular to Lemire’s consistently incisive, fair and balanced appearances in the media. Together with historian and TV presenter Thomas Snégaroff, Lemire has also published a short educational book, Israël/Palestine. Anatomie d’un conflit (“Israel/Palestine. Anatomy of a conflict”). Released in April, the book has already sold over 30,000 copies. More than just a passion, this bookshop trend reveals a thirst for knowledge, a need to understand an antagonistic situation often perceived by the general public as complex and, above all, insoluble.

For those who have already made up their minds, however, beliefs, once acquired or passed on, only grow stronger with time and the accumulation of facts, data or discourse. Each new development reinforces a bias that can easily turn into a univocal vision. No other confrontation in the world arouses so much interest or provokes so much controversy. What are the origins and reasons behind the flare-ups that tear apart groups of friends, turn family dinners into pitched battles, and set social media and schoolyards ablaze? France is particularly sensitive to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Apart from the particularly high number of victims since October 7 – over 1,500 dead on the Israeli side, including soldiers operating in Gaza; over 41,000 on the Palestinian side; and almost 2,000 in Lebanon – what are the reasons for this heart-rending passion?

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