Robert Ejnes has spent years carefully navigating the political winds of the Fifth Republic as executive director of CRIF, the umbrella group representing French Jewry, . But now, as France prepares to recognize a Palestinian state in September—no matter the circumstances—he finds himself issuing a quiet alarm that feels, for once, dangerously easy to ignore.
French Jewish community responds to Macron's remarks
(Video: Mickey Schmidt)
“We're not surprised,” he said, referring to President Emmanuel Macron’s recent pledge. “Because he said it three months ago... we had the reaction three months ago. We called it... the political error, political danger, diplomatic error and moral error as well.”
That initial warning came when Macron first floated the idea—then, at least, with caveats: Hamas would be excluded from negotiations, hostages released and a Palestinian state demilitarized. But that language soon gave way to finality. “The second declaration is: whatever happens, I will declare the recognition of the state of Palestine,” Ejnes said. “And this is what we're mad at. Because it's not normal, and we cannot understand the reason he would... recognize the state of Palestine without conditions.”
For Ejnes, the shift in tone isn’t just political—it’s personal, and potentially dangerous. “We see it as a recognition of the terrorist value of the 7th of October,” he said. “And we're not the only ones to say it, because Hamas leaders say exactly the same thing three days ago.”
He rejects the notion that the decision came from nuanced diplomacy or careful moral balancing. “As to the reason he did it... is something we cannot understand and we do not understand.”
When asked whether Jewish leadership tried to intervene, his answer is clear: “We certainly did. And remember, Jews in France are less than 1% of the population. And even though we have a large clout in the country... we did talk to him directly, and that were the leaders of the largest Jewish organizations in France, and the Chief Rabbi. But he wouldn't budge from this position.”
There were further efforts. “We also speak to his cabinet,” he added, “and we had a large meeting with one of the main cabinet members, diplomatic cabinet members of President Macron who tried to explain... and the whole set of leaders of the Jewish community that was present to the meeting did not agree... with this as a solution to the Middle East crisis.”
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But beyond the Élysée Palace, something darker has been brewing in the streets. “There is a very strong rise in antisemitism since October 7,” Ejnes said. “The extreme left has made Gaza a major political argument in their campaigns. And they're really pushing for the hate of Israel—and by the way, the hate of the Jews.”
As a result, Jewish life in France has grown increasingly fraught. “Wherever they live, I guess the Jewish population is feeling insecure today in the French environment.”
That insecurity is leading to soul-searching. “I don't know a family that is not speaking about it now,” he said, referring to emigration to Israel. “It doesn't mean that they will do it, because it's a very difficult move. And a lot of people want to believe in France as a country.
"Once again, we've been in the country more than 2,000 years. And there is a very strong French feeling among the Jewish community... Many know the resilience of the community after all the bad events that ever happened to us in France, especially in recent times: the Dreyfus Affair, or the Vichy government, or the Shoah, and Jews have still continued to live and belong to the French environment.”
That’s why Macron’s decision stings all the more. “What we reproach to him is that by this decision of recognition of the state of Palestine, he's giving a bond to the Hamas and to the extreme left, who are the two first who have expressed their thanks to the French government and to President Macron.”
Still, Ejnes is not dismissive of Macron’s past gestures. “Macron has done a lot of things, when you think about it, to protect the Jews against antisemitism,” he said. “We do remember that he is the one who has made a special ceremony for the French people who died in October 7... also that the French government has been protecting the Jews against antisemitism.”
But memory alone, he said, doesn’t absolve the present. “Today, we believe he's promoting antisemitism by doing what he's doing.”