Jerusalem (AFP) - In the face of its increasing isolation on the international scene due to its war in the Gaza Strip, Israel is increasingly drawing closer to the European extreme right, despite the history of some of its parties in anti-Semitism.

Published on: 02/10/2026 - 13:08

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused foreign politicians who criticize the bloody Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip of fueling hostility toward Jews, but his government mostly shows comfort in dealing with politicians of all stripes as long as they support Israel.

When the French website Mediapart, known for its investigative reports, revealed anti-Semitic comments attributed to the head of the far-right National Rally party, Jordan Bardella, the Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Anti-Semitism, Amichai Shekli, defended him.

Chikli wrote on X that Bardella, whose name is being put forward as prime minister if his party leader Marine Le Pen wins the French presidential elections in 2027, “was one of the most visible voices in Europe in confronting Hamas.”

He recalled that he visited the sites involved in the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which sparked the devastating war in the Gaza Strip.

After Israel recalled its ambassador to Austria in 2000 following the formation of a government that included the “Freedom Party,” which was founded by former Nazis, Netanyahu’s government, which is considered the most right-wing in Israel’s history, began normalizing its relations with this party.

In September, Shikli hailed a “historic turning point” after party leader Herbert Kickel delivered a speech in which he pledged, if he came to power, to include “combat anti-Semitism and address anti-Zionism” in his government’s program.

"authentication"

Israeli officials have also approached other far-right leaders in Sweden, Spain, and the United Kingdom, under the pretext of shared concerns toward Islam and immigration.

Only the German far right and its Alternative for Germany party remain excluded from this Israeli approach, at least for the time being.

Jeremy Isharoff, the Israeli ambassador to Berlin between 2017 and 2022, the period that witnessed the rise of the Alternative for Germany party, saw that some European far-right parties were looking for a way to prove that they had overcome their anti-Semitism past.

He told Agence France-Presse that by establishing relations with Israel, these parties obtain “something like a seal of approval” that enables them to distance themselves from their past of anti-Semitism, which remains a legacy rejected by moderate voters.

He added, "I can see what you gain from this, but I see nothing but harm to Israel's values ​​and status in the world."

He continued, "Over the past three years, when you see an increase in the intensity of criticism of Israel from the center and the left, this creates an incentive for right-wing Israeli politicians to balance this by showing that there are some commonalities" with them.

Isharoff warned that Israel must first study the repercussions of its support for the extreme right on Jewish groups in the countries concerned, whether in Germany or in other European countries such as France and Austria.

In Britain, Jewish groups expressed their concern after Israel last year welcomed Thomas Robinson, one of the most prominent symbols of the British far-right anti-Islam, and praised his positions.

- The benefits of sowing discord -

Israeli officials are using increasingly harsh rhetoric and moving away from diplomatic tone towards Western leaders who criticize the Jewish state.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar recently made a call with the leader of the far-right Reform UK party to praise his opposition to the sanctions imposed by Britain on goods imported from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

At the same time, Israeli ministers denounced British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, the son of Jewish immigrants, for his support for the sanctions.

Azriel Bermant, an associate researcher at the Institute of International Relations in Prague who studies Israel's relations with Europe, believed that Netanyahu, through his closeness to the extreme right, also seeks to create divisions in Europe that prevent the establishment of a consensus regarding Israel.

Bermant explained, "For Netanyahu, any country that can support Israel and deviate from the European consensus is a good thing."

He referred to Netanyahu's relationship with former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, until his electoral defeat this year.

He pointed out that Orban supported Israel and prevented the European Union from adopting punitive measures, and at the same time continued his anti-Semitic attacks on the Hungarian-born American billionaire George Soros, a Holocaust survivor.

Bermant expected that Israel's policy in this regard would change if Netanyahu was defeated in the October 27 elections.

He believed that his opponents would likely maintain contact with figures such as Marine Le Pen, who have a chance of coming to power, but without linking Israel to the extreme right.

A former Israeli ambassador to Europe, who requested anonymity to preserve his relations, said that he understands the reasons why Israel refrains from convicting Bardella, as he may be in a position of power with Marine Le Pen next year.

However, he stressed that Israel must be more pragmatic and not rush to align itself with controversial figures.

He said, "There will come a day when governments move from right to left, and from left to right, and if you are associated with the extreme right, you will take on a certain character."

© 2026 AFP

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