The grandstand at the Stade de France will have an extra guest this Thursday for the France-Israel match. After Emmanuel MacronNicolas Sarkozy and Michel Barnier, it’s François Hollande who announced that he would attend the meeting.
The former French president explained to the Parisien that he would attend as a message of support for the Jewish community. Although he had other long-planned engagements for the evening, the Socialist MP is said to have changed his plans in the face of the violent anti-Semitic attacks in Amsterdam last Thursday night.
“The fight against anti-Semitism
“The President (François Hollande) is fully aware of the stakes involved in this match. A symbol that embodies the fight against anti-Semitism.anti-Semitismand for which he is and always will be committed”, his office explained to the daily newspaper.
Emmanuel Macron had already announced on Sunday that he would be attending the match between the French national team and their Israeli counterparts “to send a message of fraternity and solidarity following the intolerable acts of anti-Semitism” in Amsterdam. Prime Minister Michel Barnier, Bruno Retailleau and government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon will also attend.
4,000 police and gendarmes
Given the highly sensitive context, the capacity of the Stade de France has been significantly reduced. Only 20,000 fans will attend the match, which is part of the fifth round of the UEFA Nations League.
Bruno Retailleau has announced an unprecedented deployment of police to secure the stadium and surrounding area: 4,000 police and gendarmes. They will be present in and around the stadium, as well as on public transport and in Paris. The Raid, the elite unit of the French national police, will also be involved in the security of the Israeli team,” continued Laurent Nuñez.
This match comes a week after the one between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv, which was followed by violence targeting Israeli supporters in the Dutch city. The Israeli authorities called on Sunday for fans not to go to the Stade de France this Thursday.