SEVERAL thousand protesters took to the streets in Paris against a gala organised by the far-right in support of Israel. 

The event, intended to raise funds for the Israeli military, included Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich among its invited guests.

The demonstrations came on the eve of a football match at France’s national stadium against the Israeli national team, overshadowed by tensions over Israel’s invasions of Gaza and Lebanon. 

Mr Smotrich, a far-right settler leader, had been expected to attend Wednesday’s gala, dubbed “Israel is Forever,” which was planned by an association of the same name. 

The group’s stated goal is to “mobilise French-speaking zionist forces.”

After days of growing criticism of the event, Mr Smotrich’s office confirmed on Wednesday that the minister would not travel to Paris to participate.

But the invitation to Mr Smotrich, a self-declared “fascist homophobe,” drew sharp criticism from local associations, unions and left-wing political parties, prompting two protests in the French capital. 

Mr Smotrich, has been accused of inflaming tensions in the West Bank and drew international condemnations this week by saying he hopes the election of Donald Trump will clear the way for Israeli annexation of the West Bank — a step that would extinguish Palestinian statehood dreams.

The French Foreign Ministry called Mr Smotrich’s remarks “contrary to international law” and counterproductive to efforts to reduce regional tensions.

“France reiterates its commitment to the implementation of the two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security, which is the only prospect for a just and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” the ministry said in a statement.

The march through central Paris denounced the event as a “gala of hatred and shame.”

One of the protesters, Melkir Saib, said: “Imagine if an association were hosting a gala for Hezbollah or Hamas — there’s no way the police would allow that.”