PARIS (AP) — Protests broke out in Paris on Wednesday against a controversial gala organized by far-right figures who support Israel. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was among the guests of the event, which aimed to raise funds for the Israeli army.

The demonstrations took place on the eve of an action. high stakes football match The match against the Israeli national team at the French national stadium was overshadowed by the tension created by the wars in the Middle East. Authorities Paris announced that more than 4,000 police officers and 1,600 stadium staff would be deployed for the match.

Smotrich, a strong supporter of Israeli settlements, was expected to attend Wednesday’s gala titled “Israel Forever” organized by an association of the same name. The group’s stated goal is to “mobilize French-speaking Zionist forces.”

After days of mounting criticism of the event, Smotrich’s office confirmed on Wednesday that the minister would not travel to Paris to attend.

But the invitation to Smotrich came under harsh criticism from local associations, unions and left-wing political parties and sparked two protests in the French capital. The minister, a hard-line settler leader, has been accused of inflaming tensions in the West Bank and drew international condemnation this week when he said he hoped the election of Donald Trump would pave the way for Israel to annex the West Bank. It will extinguish Palestine’s dreams of statehood.

The French Foreign Ministry described Smotrich’s remarks as “contrary to international law” and damaging to efforts to reduce regional tensions.

“France reiterates its commitment to the implementation of the two-state solution, in which Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace and security and is the only hope for a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” the ministry said. in a statement.

Critics also pointed to Nili Kupfer-Naouri, president of the “Israel Forever” association, who sparked outrage by tweeting “No civilian in Gaza is innocent” after the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023.

Hundreds of protesters marched through central Paris on Wednesday night, denouncing the event as “a gala full of hatred and shame”.

“Imagine if an association organized a gala for Hezbollah or Hamas; there is no way the police would allow it,” said protester Melkir Saib, 30. “The situation isn’t fair.”

The march was largely peaceful, but some demonstrators broke the windows of a McDonald’s along the way.

A separate group, including Jewish left organizations opposing racism and antisemitism, gathered near the Arc de Triomphe and chanted slogans against the gala and Smotrich.

While French authorities defended the event, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez stated that the gala “does not pose a major threat to public order.”

The protests came days after tensions flared in Paris and Amsterdam over conflicts in the Middle East. While a huge “Free Palestine” banner was unfurled during Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League match against Atletico Madrid, violence targeting fans of an Israeli football club broke out in Amsterdam last week.