Israel-Hamas War: French Minister and Benzema Clash Over Gaza

French football star Karim Benzema, often referred to as a controversial figure, is considering legal action after Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin accused him of having connections with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Minister Darmanin’s remarks were prompted by Benzema’s comments on X, formerly Twitter, in which he offered prayers to the people of Gaza, stating that they were victims of unjust bombardments that affected both women and children.

Notably, the minister criticized Benzema for not expressing similar sympathy for the estimated 1,400 Israeli victims of Hamas and asserted that the former French striker is well-known for his associations with the Muslim Brotherhood.

In response, Benzema, who currently resides in Saudi Arabia and plays in the Saudi Pro League, authorized his Paris-based attorney to issue a firm denial and to threaten legal action against Minister Darmanin for slander.

“Karim Benzema has never had the least relationship with this organisation,” said Hugues Vigier.

“Praying for a civilian population living under bombs… is neither propaganda for Hamas, nor complicity in terrorism, nor an act of collaboration.

“It is natural compassion in the face of what many people qualify as war crimes… but which in no way detracts from the horror of the [Hamas] terrorist actions carried out on October 7,” he said.

He said Karim Benzema was also considering legal action against right-wing deputy Nadine Morano, who described him as an “element of propaganda for Hamas”.

Speaking subsequently on BFMTV, the interior minister refused to back down – saying he would only withdraw his comments if the footballer issued another tweet lamenting last Friday’s Islamist murder of a schoolteacher in Arras.

“The [Muslim] Brotherhood is insidious. It uses all the means available in our society to get across its message of a strict Islam…. Not to see this is to be naïve. Let’s stop being naïve!”

The Muslim Brotherhood is an 80-year-old movement that originated in Egypt and has served as an ideological foundation for numerous contemporary Islamist organizations, including Hamas.

While it is prohibited in several Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, it faces no such restrictions in most EU countries, as the EU does not classify it as a terrorist organization.

Primarily functioning as an ideological movement without a formal structure, the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence in Europe is often observed through front organizations advocating for Islamic causes, like women’s rights to wear head coverings.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin’s criticism of Karim Benzema faced immediate opposition from the political left, with accusations that the minister was attempting to gain political advantage.

Karim Benzema, the 35-year-old former Real Madrid star, has a complex relationship with the French public.

While some idolize him, he has also earned a reputation as a troublemaker. In 2021, he received a one-year suspended prison sentence for his involvement in a blackmail case related to a sex video featuring his French teammate Mathieu Valbuena.

“Darmanin is campaigning for 2027,” said political commentator Philippe Moreau Chevrolet, pointing to the next presidential election.

“He’s looking for the most effective way to send out a message to right-wing voters.”

The minister’s entourage conceded there was “no judicial basis for proceeding against Benzema”.

However in off-the-record briefings to the French press they said the footballer has “displayed a steady move towards a strict Islam characteristic of Brotherhood ideology”.

They cited his refusal to sing the national anthem during appearances for France, and his “proselytism” on social media.

Prominent attorney Emmanuel Daoud expressed his surprise regarding Mr. Darmanin’s involvement in an interview with Le Figaro newspaper.

“Is it tolerable for a man who [as interior minister] is also minister of religion to say that expressing any spiritual compassion with the people of Gaza makes someone necessarily guilty of being close to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas?”

“We are very far from our basic laws.”

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