FRANCE24
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin made the accusations after the reigning Ballon d’Or winner and former Real Madrid forward posted a message on social media about the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
“All our prayers are for the inhabitants of Gaza who are once again victims of these unjust bombings which spare no women or children,” Benzema wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Toutes nos prières pour les habitants de Gaza victimes une fois de plus de ces bombardements injustes qui n’épargnent ni femmes ni enfants.
— Karim Benzema (@Benzema) October 15, 2023
Hamas on October 7 launched shock raids into Israel, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and seizing about 200 hostages.
Israel has since then launched wave after wave of retaliatory air strikes, killing more than 3,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
Darmanin, speaking on the CNews Channel, alleged that Benzema “has a notorious link with the Muslim Brotherhood“, a Sunni Muslim Islamist group with its origins in Egypt that is now banned by Cairo.
“This is false! Karim Benzema has never had the slightest relationship with this organisation,” Benzema’s lawyer Hugues Vigier said in a statement.
He said that Benzema was expressing “natural compassion” with “what many today describe as war crimes being committed in Gaza, but which does not detract from the horror of the terrorist acts of October 7, something not open to discussion”.
The lawyer added that he was planning to file a complaint against Darmanin for his comments.
Benzema, 35, who was born in France to parents of Algerian origin, has been one of the standout French stars of the last decade.
He joined the Saudi club on a hugely lucrative three-year deal this year after 14 seasons with Real Madrid where he lifted five Champions Leagues, four La Liga titles and three Copas del Rey.
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