Israel Matzav

Hezbullah demonstration in Paris

A demonstration in support of Hezbullah was held outside the Eiffel Tower in Paris last night. YNet was there and spoke to Israelis who happened to be in the vicinity:

"I am amazed how supporters of terrorists are allowed to demonstrate like this. It's like letting al-Qaeda and their supporters demonstrate freely," Shmuel Hess told Ynet.

Hess, who took a trip from Tel Aviv to the French capital, recounted: "We passed there at around 7 p.m., after we saw them getting organized with flags the day before. Hundreds were standing with Lebanese flags and Hizbullah flags."

"We stood there for a quarter of an hour. There was a lot of enthusiasm and harsh words. Flags of Nasrallah and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez were waved. The ambassador of Venezuela, with a flag of Lebanon on her clothes, was also there and received a warm round of applause.

"It all took place right at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. It was amazing to see it. There was food and drinks. We whispered and tried not to stand out. It seemed hard to understand, holding yellow Hizbullah flags with a drawing of weapons. Young people, French Arabs."

Another Israeli woman who witnessed the demonstration said: "They sang the Lebanese national anthem. There was an atmosphere or euphoria, these are people who seemed to be of a relatively top class and not a horde. They spoke about how Nasrallah restored their dignity – of the Arabs in France – and thanked those who let them stand there and demonstrate in the area."

"There was someone who said that since the establishment of the State of Israel there have only been wars in the area and that the Israelis want to take the Lebanese lands because of the water," she added.

This is not the first pro-Hezbullah demonstration in Paris this summer. Here is the story of an earlier demonstration.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:33 AM