Survey findings over the past couple years indicate that a significant proportion of both RN and LFI backers have hostility toward the Jewish community.By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The AlgemeinerAs candidates on both the far right and far left gain ground ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election, growing support among young voters for the latter is deepening concerns over the direction of a nation increasingly divided along ideological lines.France’s increasingly polarized political landscape is giving momentum to competing forces on both extremes, with far-right Rassemblement National (RN) leader Marine Le Pen enjoying unprecedented support as radical-left La France Insoumise (LFI) leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon continues to build a strong base—leaving many with little sense of comfort from either side of the political spectrum.Under France’s two-round presidential system, the two candidates who receive the most votes in the first round advance to a runoff, with current polling pointing to a potential Le Pen-Mélenchon showdown as the most likely second-round scenario.Mélenchon is one of France’s most controversial political figures, but he has also emerged as a particularly powerful force among younger voters, turning the radical left into a major destination for a generation increasingly seeking political change.In the 2022 presidential election, Mélenchon finished third overall but drew significant support from younger voters, winning 31 percent of those aged 18 to 24 and 34 percent of voters between 25 and 34.Some experts point to the party’s economic and social agenda as a major reason for its appeal, including promises to redistribute wealth by taxing corporations and high earners, raise wages, confront climate change, and support the Palestinian cause.Young people in France have also embraced Mélenchon’s pledge to launch a “citizens’ revolution” designed to give the public a greater role in government, with LFI arguing that the movement gives younger generations a meaningful role as political actors rather than simply treating them as voters.France 24 on Monday published a video report featuring interviews with young French voters expressing support for radical change.“I think there’s something rational and humanistic in saying that it’s not right that some people have an obscene amount of money and do things that are harmful to the planet and harmful to others,” one activist said. “We could just say, ‘Actually, let’s redistribute it.’”With substantial support among young voters, experts say Mélenchon’s ability to maintain that momentum could bolster his standing ahead of the 2027 election and put the far left within reach of the presidential runoff.Yet Mélenchon remains a deeply controversial figure. He has pledged to withdraw France from NATO and called for “bringing Russia back into the European concert,” while his repeated antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric has drawn fierce criticism, with Jewish community leaders accusing him of promoting hostility toward Jews and Israelis across the country.Earlier this year, Mélenchon was again at the center of controversy after appearing to threaten Israel with international military action.He claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was seeking to occupy southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces have been fighting the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, and called for an international military deployment against Israel.He had also described the Israeli military as “genocidal forces,” adding to accusations that his increasingly hostile rhetoric is helping fuel the ongoing surge in antisemitism across France.Mélenchon has a long history of pushing anti-Israel policies and of making antisemitic comments—such as suggesting that Jews killed Jesus, echoing a false claim that was used to justify antisemitic violence and discrimination throughout the Middle Ages in Europe.He has previously said that “antisemitism remains residual in France,” remarks critics said, downplaying a sharp surge in anti-Jewish hatred that erupted following the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.The far-left presidential candidate has also appeared to openly support Hezbollah and referred to the French Jewish community as “an arrogant minority that lectures to the rest.”However, these controversies do not appear to rank among the top concerns for many of France’s young voters, who increasingly say they want the next presidential election to bring about “real social and political change” in the country.Recent polling has also exposed a troubling generational divide over antisemitism, with younger people in France expressing more antisemitic attitudes than older generations, including roughly 35 percent of those aged 18 to 24 who said they would justify attacks against Jews who support Israel.On the far-right, Le Pen holds a commanding position in the race to succeed incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron, with new polling placing her well ahead of other contenders and pointing to the continued strength of the RN as the 2027 election approaches.Conducted by French polling research firm Toluna Harris Interactive, the findings placed Le Pen in the low-to-mid 30 percent range in the first round, depending on the candidates, while head-to-head scenarios showed her holding a substantial lead over Mélenchon.Le Pen, a two-time presidential candidate who lost to Macron in both previous elections, entered the 2027 race after a court ruling shortened her period of ineligibility following her embezzlement conviction, allowing her to regain her eligibility to run for office.Le Pen’s own history of antisemitic rhetoric and the RN’s controversial past have also raised concerns among France’s Jewish community.Survey findings over the past couple years indicate that a significant proportion of both RN and LFI backers have hostility toward the Jewish community.Ipsos, a market research and consulting firm, conducted a survey of the French public for the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF), the main representative body of French Jews, in late 2024 to examine the country’s attitudes toward the Jewish community.The survey found that, for people aged 18 to 24, only 53 percent think that the majority of Jews are well integrated into the population, compared to 84 percent of French people more broadly.Overall, the results showed that 52 percent of those who support RN and 55 percent of those who support LFI adhere to at least six antisemitic stereotypes. And a third of LFI supporters indicated they adhere to at least nine such prejudices.According to the survey, 20 percent of LFI supporters consider the departure of Jews from France desirable, compared to 15 percent of those who back RN.Similarly troubling, the results showed that 25 percent of LFI supporters have “sympathy” for Hamas, and 40 percent refuse to label the Palestinian Islamist group as a terrorist organization.With Macron’s second term coming to an end, the continued strength of both the far right and far left reflects a political center that has struggled to recover, as economic frustration, concerns over immigration, and broader dissatisfaction with the political establishment have created fertile ground for hardline movements on both sides.The post France’s young voters rally behind anti-Israel far left as political extremes rise ahead of 2027 presidential race appeared first on World Israel News.