Macron Attended Jewish Commemoration Ceremony, Backlash for "Violation of Separation of Church and State"

Hanukkah Candle Lighting at ?lys?e Palace
Even Jewish Groups Criticize It as a "Mistake"

French President Emmanuel Macron is facing criticism for attending a Jewish ceremony held at the ?lys?e Palace, his official residence, with critics arguing that he violated France's long-standing principle of separation of church and state.

According to the British BBC and the U.S. political media outlet Politico on the 8th (local time), President Macron received an award from the European Rabbinical Assembly, given to European leaders who have fought against anti-Semitism, at an event held at the ?lys?e Palace on the 7th.

French President Macron.
Photo by Yonhap News

During the event, Ha?m Korsia, the Chief Rabbi of France, came to the front of the stage and conducted a ceremony lighting candles to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

The day marked the first day of Hanukkah, a major Jewish winter festival lasting eight days, during which Jewish people light the menorah, a candelabrum used in Jewish rituals, one candle at a time. While Rabbi Korsia lit the candles, President Macron stood beside him and observed.

After this video was released on social media (SNS), criticism arose among French politicians and citizens that President Macron had violated France's long-standing principle of la?cit? (secularism).

France, with a long history of religious conflicts such as medieval religious wars and conflicts between Catholicism and Protestantism, legally enshrined the principle of strict separation between politics and religion in 1905. This principle is considered one of the core identities of modern France.

The fact that a Jewish commemorative ceremony was held at the ?lys?e Palace with the president in attendance has sparked criticism across both progressive and conservative camps, arguing that this violated the principle of secularism.

David Renaud Khan, a prominent conservative figure and mayor, said, "As far as I know, this is the first time such a thing has happened," and criticized it as "a violation of secularism." Pierre Henriette, a member of the National Assembly from Macron's ruling Renaissance party, also said, "I strongly criticize this attempt at religious preference," adding, "With this action, Macron broke his role of guaranteeing the neutrality of the state." Carol Delga, a member of the French Socialist Party (PS) representing the left-wing camp, said, "The ?lys?e Palace is not a religious place. The principle of secularism must not be compromised."

Jewish organizations in France also criticized the act as excessive. Jonathan Arfi, head of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF), said on a radio broadcast the next day that lighting the Hanukkah candles was "a mistake and should not have happened." He added, "French Jews have always regarded secularism as a law of protection and freedom," and "Weakening secularism is weakening the Jewish community."

Despite the criticism, President Macron stated that he "does not regret it at all" and insisted that it was not a violation of secularism. During a visit to the Notre-Dame Cathedral restoration site the following day, Macron said that allowing the Chief Rabbi to light the candles was an act carried out "in the spirit of the Republic and unity," and explained, "If the president had directly performed religious acts or attended the ceremony, it would be a violation of secularism, but this was not the case."

Earlier, BBC reported that President Macron faced criticism from both Jewish and Muslim communities after showing inconsistent diplomatic positions regarding Hamas's invasion of Israel in October.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.