Yonathan Arfi was re-elected as President of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF) for a three-year term, the organisation announced in a press release.
Mr Arfi, aged 45, was re-elected in the first round of the CRIF general assembly, which he has chaired since 2022.
This re-election takes place “in a context of a massive increase in antisemitic acts since 7 October” and at an “unprecedented and decisive moment in the contemporary history of French Jews,” the statement notes.
“My political priority will be to render the political influence of LFI and Jean-Luc Mélenchon residual, and I will continue the fight against all forms of antisemitism,” Mr Arfi declared, as quoted in the communiqué.
These words refer to a statement made by the LFI leader on 2 June 2024 on his blog: “Contrary to what official propaganda claims, antisemitism remains residual in France,” wrote Mr Mélenchon.
In addition to his “absolute opposition to LFI,” Mr Arfi also underlined that CRIF had “stood as a defender of the republican framework in light of the prospect of a victory by the Rassemblement National in the 2024 legislative elections.”
During the upcoming term, “CRIF will continue its rigorous dialogue with public authorities to combat all manifestations of antisemitism,” the statement affirms.
Deploring “ideological confusions” and “pernicious accusatory inversions”, Mr Arfi insisted during the assembly on “the imperative to intensify educational efforts and dialogue with civil society.” In 2024, a total of 1,570 antisemitic acts were recorded in France, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
Mr Arfi, who was first elected in June 2022, affirmed that he “will continue the tireless mobilisation since 7 October to call for the release of hostages held by Hamas and to support Israel’s legitimate right to defend itself against terrorism, as well as in the ongoing war with Iran – all of which are necessary conditions to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”
