The President of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (Crif) Yonathan Arfi said on Thursday “concerned and vigilant”a few hours before the match “symbol” France-Israelhoping that it will give “the anti-Amsterdam. “We’re worried. We’re vigilant because we know that tonight the France-Israel match is being held under high security tension, with a lot of threats.”said the Crif representative on RTL.

The pressure is on ahead of this Nations League soccer meeting, whose sporting stakes are largely overshadowed by the Middle East conflict and the climate exacerbated by the recent violence on the sidelines of a Maccabi Tel-Aviv match match in Amsterdam. More than 4,000 police and gendarmes were deployed to ensure security. “You have to go and see this match because it has become a symbol that goes beyond sport, an almost political symbol of affirmation in the face of anti-Semitism, of republican affirmation quite simply.”said Yonathan Arfi.

Macron, Hollande and Sarkozy in the stands

“It’s the anti-Amsterdam we have to show tonight”.pleaded the Crif president, referring to the serious incidents that followed the Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv on the night of November 7-8 in the Netherlands.

For the President of Crif, the presence of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron in the stands of the Stade de France, Saint-Denis, and his predecessors François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy according to several media, is “a strong signal.

“We need symbols in our country. In the face of anti-Semitism, but in the face of hatred in general, we need a reminder of what civil concord is all about.”he added.