https://www.lemonde.fr/en/poli…n-comments_6750929_5.html
ZitatMélenchon accused of antisemitism after 'Epstein' pronunciation comments
The leader of LFI later called his remark 'ironic' and accused rivals of 'inciting violence' against his party.
French radical left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has sparked new accusations of antisemitism after mocking the pronunciation of the name "Epstein" during a political rally in Lyon. Speaking on Thursday evening, Mélenchon invoked the name of Jeffrey Epstein, after recent disclosures detailed the convicted sex offender's extensive ties to the world's rich, famous and powerful.
"When it comes to the 'Epshtine' case – oh, I meant 'Epsteen,' sorry. That sounds more Russian, 'Epsteen,' right?" said the La France Insoumise (LFI) leader. "So now you'll say 'Ensteen' instead of Einstein, 'Frankensteen' instead of Frankenstein," he told a laughing audience.
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ZitatSocialist Senator Laurence Rossignol condemned the comments as "the most terrifying antisemitism." "How many decades has it been since a politician made a room laugh by rattling off Jewish names, emphasising their pronunciation, with a sneer of hatred?" Rossignol said.
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ZitatYonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, said on X, "To see this pronunciation as manipulation is a conspiracy theory with real antisemitic overtones," adding that French journalists have been using the American pronunciation of the late financier's last name.
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