Macron warns against anti-Semitism before France-Israel match
· CNA · JoinPARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said "we will not give in to anti-Semitism" ahead of Israel's Nations League football match against France in Paris later Thursday (Nov 14).
Speaking to broadcaster BFMTV a few hours before the high-risk match, which he will attend, Macron said: "We will not give in to anti-Semitism anywhere, and violence - including in the French Republic - will never prevail, nor will intimidation".
The Paris police chief Laurent Nunez has described the match at the Stade de France as "high risk" and Israel has urged its citizens to avoid the fixture. The authorities fear it could become another flashpoint following last week's violence in the Netherlands.
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier will also attend the match, as well as former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy.
Macron's presence at the match is aimed at drawing a line after "controversies and misunderstandings" in recent relations between France and Israel, a member of his team said.
The security context has clearly impacted the attendance, with only around 13,000 spectators expected at the game in a venue that holds up to 80,000, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has said.
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