Éric Zemmour, the president of far-right French party Reconquête, is the latest political figure to criticise former Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema (35), who paid tribute to victims in Gaza earlier this week.
On Sunday, the former France international Benzema took to X to pay tribute to Gazan victims. “All our prayers for the habitants of Gaza, once again victims of these unfair bombings that spare neither women nor children,” said Benzema. That comment drew criticism from right-wing politician Nadine Morano, a member of the European Parliament since 2014, who told C News that the current holder of the Ballon d’Or was “an agent of Hamas.” Morano was at the centre of controversy in 2016 when she said that France was a “white race” country and that it must remain that way.
France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin then claimed that Benzema, who now plays his club football in Saudi Arabia, “notoriously had links […] with the Muslim Brotherhood.” The Muslim Brotherhood is considered a terrorist organisation in seven countries, including in Saudi Arabia, but not in France.
In the wake of the explosive comments made by Darmanin, Benzema’s lawyer, speaking to Le Parisien, stated that the former France international was considering legal action. “We are considering proceedings against this minister, by applying, for example, the law on the manipulation of information dear to our government… and defamation or even public insult, because this non-existent link with the Muslim Brotherhood, which he says is notorious, is obviously presented as derogatory,” said Benzma’s lawyer.
Speaking on France 2, Zemmour said he is “creating a direct link” between Benzema and the terrorist who killed teacher Dominique Bernard in Arras just under a week ago. On Benzema, Zemmour added, “Karim Benzema, we know that he played for the French team by accident, only for the money and sporting results. He said it himself. He is not French at heart. He doesn’t like France, he never loved it.”
Benzema’s lawyer has responded to Zemmour’s comments through Libération, stating an intention to sue the far-right leader for defamation.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
