Bibi's Grand Paris Hypocrisy called out! Who French cops should also be arresting

On the surface, world leaders linking arms in unity after three days of terrorist attacks in France gave a cosy picture of peace and defiance against those daring to obstruct freedom of speech.

Their faces were plastered across television screens and newspapers as they linked up with three million people who lined the streets in Paris in solidarity against the fatal shootings of ten Charlie Hebdo staff members, two police officers and four supermarket hostages. But of all the faces, it was Benjamin Netanyahu’s that stood out most - for all the wrong reasons.

The Israeli prime minister has been ridiculed in the international press and across social media since the march, many poking fun at his shameless shimmy to the front row of the powerful pack of world leaders - standing just metres away from his arch rival Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

France did not even want Bibi there. Francois Hollande had reportedly turned his nose up at the idea of Netanyahu coming to Paris to join the rally, fearing his presence would be “awkward”. Ignoring this, Bibi dashed to pack his suitcase when he realized two Israeli cabinet ministers were going.

Aside from the whole affair being enshrouded in hypocrisy, it was the speech by the leader of Israel’s right-wing Likud party at the Grand Synagogue in Paris that ruffled the most feathers.

“I wish to convey my condolences to the families of the journalists and police and all those innocent people who were murdered while realizing their most basic rights,” Netanyahu said.

Freedom of expression, freedom of thought and freedom of belief, even the freedom not to believe.”

Let’s get started.

Haaretz’s very own Gideon Levy is just one journalist who gets constant harassment from the Israeli government for reporting on the plight of Palestinians. Some reporters trying to give a voice to the voiceless quickly lost their freedom of expression, thought and belief in Israel when they were targeted by Israeli soldiers in last summer’s offensive on Gaza.

Bibi’s speech also failed to mention the fundamental rights of food, shelter and safety for Palestinians. Up to 80 percent of those killed in last summer’s offensive by Israel - a supposedly democratic state - were civilians, according to the United Nations. Many went hungry; thousands had their homes destroyed and almost no one was safe.

With just over two months to go until Israel’s General Election on March 17, was Netanyahu’s Paris visit just another stop on the campaign trail? His mad dash to Paris was political opportunism at its most blatant; a timely chance for him to garner support from Israeli voters.

Or perhaps his show of sympathy and solidarity with French jews was to spark another wave of Aliyah (immigration to Israel) and increase Jewish numbers in the contested state?  "To all the Jews of France, all the Jews of Europe, I would like to say that Israel is not just the place in whose direction you pray, the state of Israel is your home,” he said in his impassioned speech. To which, in the end, French Jewish listeners followed with an equally impassioned rendition of the French national anthem. Perhaps they too see France, not Israel, as their true home?

As far as stealing the limelight goes, Netanyahu did a pretty good job, but for all the wrong reasons. Despite being a PR disaster, this was a visit jaded by the misery of the many Palestinians that have been fighting an age-old battle for their most basic human rights.

So we say  -- without fear of attack or reprisal ,and in the spirit of freedom of speech-- that's rich coming from the Israeli prime minister, as we round up the audacity of being Bibi at Paris last week.