The conflict between Palestinian Hamas militants and the Israeli army is also an opportunity for some to spark local political controversies.
Christian Estrosi, who did not hesitate to make a quick trip to Israel last weekend, has repeatedly expressed his sympathy for the cause of this state while stigmatizing the pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which he claims are anti-Semitic, that took place in Nice.
This behavior is in turn criticized by Gaël Nofri, spokesperson for the municipal opposition group Nice Bleu Marine.
“The current municipality’s obsession with media stunts and short-lived positioning continues to severely damage the image of the City of Nice.
Nice, which in the 20th century hosted Paul Valéry’s Mediterranean University Center project and Professor René-Jean Dupuy’s International Law and Development Institute;
Nice, which today claims to play a role in Euro-Mediterranean relations;
Nice sees its image battered by the electoral positions and political maneuvers of the Mayor of Nice regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Regardless of one’s feelings about this international conflict, the seriousness of the situation and the lives at stake deserve better than the photos and off-hand comments of a poorly inspired official on his Facebook wall.
Rather than symbolizing the exploitation of communities within the framework of an armed conflict, it would undoubtedly have been more in line with the image we aspire for our city to send a message of Peace, dialogue, and listening.
I particularly regret that in the spring of 2009, the Mayor and his Municipality refused the proposal of the courageous conductor Daniel Barenboim to host the West Eastern Divan, the Israeli-Palestinian peace orchestra, in the azure capital.”
