From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 8, 2026
French-Israeli activists denounce ‘complicity in genocide’ case as political trial
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Two French-Israeli activists facing legal summons in France for “complicity in genocide” denounce what they describe as a political trial.
The summonses were issued in July last year for lawyer Nili Kupfer-Naouri of the Israel is Forever group and Rachel Touitou of the Tsav 9 group over protests in 2024 and 2025 that aimed to block trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The summonses call for the two to appear before an investigating magistrate but not for their detention.
Speaking at an event in Netanya, Kupfer-Naouri asserts that “this is not an individual case, this is a state matter… this is a political trial.”
Touitou tells AFP that she had “protested peacefully, my only ‘weapon’ was an Israeli flag,” adding she had been motivated by accusations of Hamas looting aid while hostages held by the terror group were “rotting.”
“International law cannot be hijacked and instrumentalized for political ends,” she added.
Kupfer-Naouri, who has filed a slander complaint in France against organizations involved in the case, says, “You cannot be accused of complicity in genocide when no court, either French or international, has ruled that there is a genocide in Gaza.”
Israel adamantly rejects allegations that its fight against Hamas in Gaza, sparked by the terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, amounts to genocide, saying that it takes measures to avoid civilian casualties and blaming Hamas for fighting from among noncombatants.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.