After a media marathon, for a few days, he had put himself "a little behind".
Ali Rabeh finally wishes to speak once again about his city.
The mayor (Génération.s) of Trappes has chosen to engage his former mentor, Benoît Hamon, on Sens TV, his pay channel on the Internet platform Alchimie.com.
Presented as “the anti CNews”, the subject of this interview is “the opposite of the search for buzz and the spectacular”.
We were able to interview the chosen one on the sidelines of this face to face.
In disagreement with Didier Lemaire, the philosophy professor who spoke in the media on the progress of an Islamist grip in Trappes, Ali Rabeh now lives under police protection.
By denouncing the "vast swindle" carried out by the teacher, the mayor has turned against certain identity movements and is the subject of death threats.
While he believes that he has "not [been] defended by the executive", the entire political class then clashed on the subject in recent days.
A complicated moment for the mayor of Trappes, whose election was canceled in early February by the administrative court of Versailles.
You have been the subject of death threats and you are under police protection, did you expect this?
ALI RABEH.
No.
I have been receiving death threats and racist abuse on social media since day one of this case.
My name was enough to discredit my point.
I was also aware of a planned attack against me
(Editor's note: this information was not confirmed to us this Thursday evening)
, which is the reason why I am now under close police protection.
Nothing can prepare you for that, after a while, like it or not, it ends up getting to you.
I thought about giving up for a second but I quickly left and I will not let go.
Don't you feel like you've been overwhelmed by events?
Trappes is a unique city, I know its specificities.
I am not denying the fact that there are radicalization problems, but we should not point the finger at 32,000 inhabitants.
This affair is a bankruptcy of the media and politicians who have chosen for the most part to take Mr. Lemaire's words at face value.
My role is to defend the inhabitants and bring back a form of normality in the city.
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Have not your numerous media interventions worked against you?
It's always easier to redo the game afterwards.
Many media have not verified Mr. Lemaire's comments on the ground, which is why I have re-established the truth on all levels.
Unfortunately, in some shows I was not able to debate as much as I wanted.
This was the case when Jean-Marc Morandini went to Trappes last Friday.
I wanted to be correct and accompany him but I ended up leaving the direct in the face of his unfair practices.
If I had to do it again, I wouldn't.
The debate in the TPMP talk show with Jean Messiha, I do not regret it because I was able to reach a younger audience.
You have been criticized for making political recovery by going to the Plaine-de-Neauphle high school.
The Minister of National Education even spoke of intrusion ...
There was no intrusion into the school since the school principal agreed that I should come.
It was not a political leaflet but a kind letter that encourages students to focus on their studies, the idea was to calm the spirits.
I have been going to this high school regularly for years, and in particular I organize baccalaureate review stays.
Nothing in what I did is open to criticism, Jean-Michel Blanquer's accusations are completely false, his only goal was to weaken me.
If that was true, why didn't he file a complaint?
The political class has largely clashed around this affair, do you regret a lack of support?
I never imagined that the government, through the voice of Jean-Michel Blanquer, would come and sabotage my legitimacy.
Mr. Darmanin gave his support to Didier Lemaire, but against me he said nothing.
I do not forgive Mr. Macron his silence in this story, he did not know how to whistle the end of recess.
