Paris Anti Israel Protest demand sanctions on Israel.    ( Photo: AFP )

Paris, May 16 (RHC)-- A pro-Palestine rally near France's Ministry of Culture in Paris served two purposes;  firstly calling for a boycott of Israeli goods, expressing outrage at the actions of the Israeli military, and condemning, once again, the ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza, now in its third month, which President Emmanuel Macron described earlier this week as "shameful."

At the same time, he said that only the United States can take sanctions against Israel, which is really incredible, because Europe is the first commercial partner of Israel.

And the second objective was to call on the government to intervene and cancel a planned concert by Israeli singer Eyal Golan.  Protesters say that Golan is a supporter of Israel's genocidal policies against the population of Gaza.  He is due to perform next week in the French capital.

And adding more fuel to the activist fire is the fact that the proceeds from the concert will raise funds for Israel's Magen David Adom, an organization nominally a first responder, but which demonstrators say is part of the Israeli army.

Observers believe the concert in Paris will go ahead, but under heavy security given the number of people expected to protest outside the venue.

The latest protest is taking on Israeli culture as well as its politics; policies that people here say are a deliberate attempt to starve the population of Gaza into submission and out of their territory.

[ SOURCE: AFP and NEWS AGENCIES ]