Le Figaro Marseille
It’s a decision that continues to generate controversy.
Two months after voting to grant a grant of 80,000 euros to UNRWA, the UN organization responsible for helping civilians in Gaza and some of whose employees, now dismissed, are accused of having participated in the attack of Hamas in Israel on October 7, the municipal council once again argued about the relevance of this decision.
The municipal majority initially voted to pay this subsidy, before seeing this resolution temporarily suspended by Benoît Payan in the face of the controversy.
The mayor of Marseille finally made an about-face by deciding to pay the subsidy, taking refuge behind the position of the French State, which notably explained on February 2 through the voice of the deputy spokesperson for the Quai d'Orsay that Paris would not suspend
“its support for UNRWA”
.
This Friday, on the sidelines of the municipal council of the city of Marseille, the right did it again.
The opposition group
“A Will for Marseille”
called on Benoît Payan to
“show prudence and wisdom” regarding
the payment of this subsidy.
“I contacted the mayor of Marseille to tell him of our reservations regarding UNRWA.
I was stunned by his very violent reaction towards me, explaining among other things that I had a problem with Emmanuel Macron
,” explains Valérie Boyer, senator and LR municipal councilor.
“As a French parliamentarian, it is our duty to criticize the action of the President of the Republic
,” she continues.
New aid of 80,000 euros paid to UNICEF for children in Gaza
The opposition group took the opportunity to ask the mayor of Marseille to withdraw this subsidy, announcing at the same time that it would contact the prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône to request a legality check of the project.
“Why would the money of the Marseillais be used to finance such an organization?
There is no room for egos and internal quarrels
,” she added.
The debates continued in the hemicycle in the morning, with Benoît Payan affirming his choice to pay the subsidy.
“On February 8, France reaffirmed its full support for this agency. At the same time, an independent review group was established. The city of Marseille, like France, will not suspend this aid
,” he said at the opening of the municipal council, proposing at the same time the vote for new aid, this time for UNICEF for children. from Gaza.
“There is only one emergency in this situation: to preserve human lives, and those of the most fragile.
For this reason, Marseille will provide exceptional aid to UNICEF for children living in Gaza
,” he announced to thunderous applause, before this new aid was finally approved with a large majority.
This announcement did not fail to irritate the opposition on the right, which made comments questioning this position.
“You are playing on ambiguity by proposing a new subsidy.
Are you still in favor of paying the grant to UNRWA?
Will you pay the Israeli victims a sum of 160,000 euros?
»
, launched Catherine Pila, LR municipal councilor.
“The entire municipal majority condemned the attacks of October 7 with force and firmness.
In Marseille, we aligned ourselves with the positions of France.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is no longer tenable.
Protecting all the victims of this war is a moral imperative
,” argued Benoît Payan.