Green Leader Who Slammed Israel Regains Position After Suspension

The Lyon branch of the French ecologist Green Party has reinstated Jean Briere as its official spokesman, despite objections from the party’s national leaders.

National headquarters removed him last month, albeit reluctantly, for making anti-Semitic, anti-Israel statements in an internal party document, which some of his colleagues made public.

The positions articulated by Briere, a 58-year-old former member of the French Communist Party, touched off a heated debate among the Greens, who have frequently criticized Israel.

But the party was embarrassed by Briere’s extreme language and the fact that it was quoted in the public media. Briere himself regretted his remarks were published but offered no apology.

He wrote on April 7 that Israel is “a racist, militarist, war-mongering state.” He accused Jews of pressuring the U.S. government to launch war against Iraq.

After prolonged discussion, the party delegates agreed to condemn the statement, although about a third of them refused to vote on the issue.

Party leader Antoine Waechter would not condemn Briere beyond saying that his language might have been too strong. The national leadership decided, however, to strip Briere of the right to speak officially for his Lyon constituency in southeastern France.

But the local leaders decided otherwise Sunday. They voted 35-24 with 11 abstentions to retain Briere. There was no immediate reaction from national party headquarters.

The Greens, who have emerged as a small but vocal political faction in several Western European countries, are generally pacifist and concerned mainly with environmental issues.

According to the latest polls, the French Greens would win between 5-7 percent of the vote if national elections were held now.