ELNET has hosted in Israel French author and public figure Michel Onfray.
A star intellectual who’s authored 150 books, Onfray visited the sites of October 7 with ELNET-Israel’s team. He also addressed a crowd of over 400 people to discuss the collective book “October 7: Manifesto Against the Erasing of a Crime”, edited by Dr. Sarah Fainberg (a member of ELNET-Israel’s Advisory Board).
During his visit in southern Israel,
Onfray witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of the October 7 attacks. He visited Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where he witnessed the extensive destruction, and also stopped at an Iron Dome launch site, where he received a detailed explanation of the system’s operation and its critical role in protecting civilians from rocket attacks. Mr. Onfray also went to the Erez border crossing, where a senior IDF commander briefed him on the complexities of operating so close to the Gaza border. The commander detailed the constant threat posed by terrorist organizations like Hamas, the necessity of adhering to rules of engagement and international law, and the moral dilemmas soldiers face when combatants use children as human shields. He also spoke of the emotional toll on soldiers, many of whom have been separated from their families for extended periods of time.
Onfray's visit concluded in Netiv HaAsara
This is the closest Israeli moshav to the Gaza Strip. This small community of just 900 people suffered immensely on October 7, with more than 20 residents losing their lives. For six hours, civilians fought off Hamas terrorists until the IDF arrived. Onfray met with a survivor of the massacre, who shared a harrowing testimony of his personal experiences on that day.
Book Launch at the Netanya Academic College
Following this emotionally charged day in the South, Onfray travelled to Netanya to attend the book launch event of “October 7: Manifesto Against the Erasing of a Crime” at the Netanya Academy College.
One of the special details about the book is that the cover of each copy features the name of one of the 1,183 victims who died on October 7. This honors the individuality of each victim and allows them to regain a glimpse of dignity through memory. Most of the black-and-white photos in the book were taken by Mr. Ben Rosemblaum during ELNET delegations and visits to the South of Israel.
This collective and unique editorial work features 80 prominent figures from the French intelligentsia – both from the right and the left – who came together to stand against the silence that swiftly followed the October 7 massacres. The book condemns those who rapidly saw the opportunity to highjack its atrocities; i.e. by linking October 7 to the Arab-Israeli conflict, de facto rendering the victims no less responsible of their own fate or worse: offering a justification for those vicious tortures and murders.
Among the many contributors were prominent thinkers, writers, political figures and philosophers like Mr. Gerard Larcher, President of the French Senate; Former Prime Minister of France and esteemed friend of ELNET, Mr. Manuel Valls; Father Desbois, a very well-known priest who fights for Israel and Middle-Eastern Christians, and Boualem Sansal, a French-Algerian writer, who openly voices criticism of extremist Islam and currently faces life imprisonment if found guilty of national security charges in his home country Algeria.
Speakers at the launch event in Netanya included Dr. Emmanuel Navon, CEO of ELNET-Israel (who wrote a chapter for the book); Mrs. Claude Brightman-Grundman, Founder and Director of the French Campus at the Netanya Academic College and a member ELNET-Israel’s Board of Governors; Dr. Sarah-Masha Fainberg, who serves as Director of the Great Powers Research Program at Tel Aviv University’s Elrom Center for Air and Space Studies; renowned French philosopher, contributor of the book and friend of Israel Michel Onfray; and Mr. Ben Rosemblaum, Deputy Communications Manager at ELNET-Israel and contributor of the book. Mr. David Reinharc, the co-editor and publisher of the book, addressed the guests in a video recording.
Michel Ofray engaged in a live discussion with Emmanuel Navon. The conversation explored the philosophical and geopolitical ramifications of the October 7 attacks and emphasized the need to confront such atrocities with clarity and resolve. They also touched on the decline of the Judeo-Christian civilization, with Onfray emphasizing the shared fate of Israel and the West.
Michel Onfray was presented with an honorary award for his steadfast support for Israel. The award was bestowed by the campus director, Mrs. Grundman, who quoted the poignant words of Bill Clinton in his eulogy for the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin: “Shalom Haver”. She then addressed Onfray directly, adding,
“You are this ‘Haver,’ dear Michel. You are a true friend of Israel and that is why we are giving you this award.”
