Overview

• The TF1 host, born Jacques Essebag, released J’ai perdu un bédouin dans Paris this week through Grasset, recounting his life since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza.
• In media interviews, he describes solitude, perceived abandonment, and mounting fear among French Jews, citing friends using different names for taxis, students hiding Stars of David, and women looking over their shoulders after leaving kosher shops.
• He says he was thrust into a spokesperson role and felt personally targeted when acquaintances posted anti-Israel messages and insisted their comments were not about him.
• He criticizes President Emmanuel Macron’s recent UN declaration recognizing a Palestinian state, which he says many in the community viewed as a blank check for terrorists.
• He expresses hope for a process that frees hostages and eases suffering in Gaza, welcoming what he calls a glimmer of hope in U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan endorsed by Benjamin Netanyahu and reported to be under review by Hamas.