French Muslim leader resigns after inviting pro-Israel Jewish lawmaker to event

(JTA) — The co-founder of a French-Muslim advocacy group was forced to resign over the attendance of a Jewish, pro-Israel lawmaker at the group’s inaugural event.

Farid Belkacemi, former vice president of the League for the Judicial Defense of Muslims, resigned because of the presence at the Sept. 16 inaugural event of Meyer Habib, a member of France’s National assembly and former vice president of the CRIF umbrella organization of French Jewish communities, according to a statement by the League.

The attendance of Habib at the Paris venue was “incompatible with the League’s values and provoked heated emotions because of Habib’s capacity as advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his functions at the heart of Likud,” the Sept. 19 statement read.

CRIF, for its part, released a statement saying Habib was not representing the Jewish organization but attended the event in his capacity at the National Assembly.

In its statement, CRIF added that among the founding members of the new Muslim body was Roland Dumas, a former French foreign minister for the Socialist Party, who said in July during a television interview that Israel was behind the British government’s readiness to strike in Syria.

He has also accused “Israelis” of controlling French intelligence services.