Prefer Jewish News on Google
Marseille mayor signs letter calling Tel Aviv ‘ex-Palestine’
Jean-Claude Gaudin signed the letter informing A resident he was registered on the city’s electoral list, but it didn't say Tel Aviv was in Israel
The French municipality of Marseille described Tel Aviv as part of “former Palestine” in an official letter to a resident who was born in the Israeli city.
Mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin signed the letter, which was sent on Feb. 5 informing the resident that he was registered on the city’s electoral list. His place of birth was listed as “Tel Aviv – Ex-Palestine.”
The National Bureau for Vigilance Against Antisemitism, or BNVCA, contacted city authorities last week asking for a correction. The municipality told BNVCA that the description was carried over from records belonging to either the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies or the French Foreign Ministry, BNVCA said in a statement.
Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 in what then was part of the Ottoman Empire. Following World War I, Tel Aviv was among the Jewish, and Arab, settlements that became part of the League of Nations’ Mandate for Palestine overseen by the United Kingdom.
In 1947, Tel Aviv was part of the would-be Jewish state that the United Nations, successor to the League of Nations, set aside in its partition plan for the mandate’s territory. The Jewish settlement led by David Ben-Gurion accepted the partition, but the leaders of the plan’s would-be Arab state rejected it and launched a war against Jewish residents. In 1948, that escalated into a military conflict between the newly established State of Israel and six foreign Arab armies, as well as local Arab militias.
Israel won and took over large swaths of land intended for an Arab state.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
