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The Guardian columnist Alexander Hurst: The leader of France’s left-wing opposition alliance, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has been criticized for his admiration for figures such as Hugo Chavez, Nicolas Maduro and Vladimir Putin. His rejection of Cold War-era anti-American positions and his pursuit of a “revolutionary” opposition has left the French left unelectable and morally confused. Mélenchon defended Putin’s annexation of Crimea and even praised her. He has also shown reluctance to classify Hamas as a terrorist group and failed to unequivocally condemn the Oct. 7 attack that killed many Jews.
The ambiguity of his response to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has raised concerns about his stance on anti-Semitism. His caused a backlash in the left-wing community, and other parties distanced themselves from his approach. The Socialist Party suspended its participation in the opposition alliance, and the Communist Party called for a new leftist alliance. Melanchon’s divisive rhetoric and his detachment from reality has led to a more extreme political landscape.
If in the future a choice has to be made between him and Marine Le Pen, Le Pen is likely to win, underscoring the need for the left to quickly distance itself from Mélenchon for the sake of its future and the future of France.
The entire article can be read at the link https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/oct/27/jean-luc-melenchon-french-left-israel-france
