When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his way to the front row of the unity march in Paris Jan. 11, he shook hands with Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and linked arms with him as they marched down the streets of the French capital. The day after, long articles appeared in Israel’s media focusing on colorful, grotesque descriptions of the Israeli prime minister. Not only was Netanyahu unwelcome at the event, he had even taken the liberty to elbow his way to the head of the march, led by French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Another motive behind Netanyahu’s actions, one which was not addressed significantly, was his conscious choice to find the furthest possible spot on the line from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas also participated in the memorial rally for the terror victims, including the Jewish victims from the Hyper Cacher kosher grocery store.