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Bezons () is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.


Population


Transport

An extension of the tramway line T2 to Pont de Bezons opened in 2012. With Bezons not served by any stations on the
Paris Métro The Paris Métro (, , or , ), short for Métropolitain (), is a rapid transit system serving the Paris metropolitan area in France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architectur ...
, RER, or suburban rail network, the extension enhanced the connectivity of Bezons to the Paris public transport network. The closest train station is Houilles–Carrières-sur-Seine located in the neighbouring commune of
Houilles Houilles () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the ÃŽle-de-France region in north-central France. It is a northwestern suburb of Paris, located from the center of Paris. History Until 2000, the command post of the French Navy's Ball ...
, from the town centre of Bezons.


Majdi Al-Rimawi controversy

In March 2013, the convicted killer of Israeli general and far-right politician
Rehavam Ze'evi Rehavam Ze'evi ( ; 20 June 192617 October 2001) was an Israeli general and politician who founded the far-right nationalist Moledet party. He mainly advocated for complete cleansing of the Palestinian population through population transfer. ...
, Majdi Al-Rimawi, was named an "honorary resident" of Bezons. Majdi Al-Rimawi is a member of the
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP; ) is a secular Palestinian Marxist–Leninist organization founded in 1967 by George Habash. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation ...
who was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 2001 murder of Rehavam Ze'evi. According to Bezons monthly newsletter, the honouring of Rimawi was the result of a unanimous decision by the Bezons local council, which described his crime as "defending his town and its inhabitants, calling for the application of international law for the establishment of Palestine to the 1967 borders as recognised by the United Nations, and Jerusalem as its capital." The decision and the newsletter made no mention of Ze'evi's killing.French town honours Israeli minister 'killer'
''
Al-Jazeera Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN; , ) is a private-media conglomerate headquartered in Wadi Al Sail, Doha, funded in part by the government of Qatar. The network's flagship channels include Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Jazeera English, which pr ...
'', 11 March 2013.
In February 2013, Rimawi's son, daughter and wife were presented with the plaque honouring Rimawi at the ceremony attended by Lesparre.French town fetes Palestinian planner of Israeli minister's assassination
by Haaretz Staff, 10 March 2013.
The
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of Bezons, Dominique Lesparre, a member of the
French Communist Party The French Communist Party (, , PCF) is a Communism, communist list of political parties in France, party in France. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its Member of the European Parliament, MEPs sit with The Left in the ...
who has previously supported left-wing figures, stated that honouring Rimawi is a "strong political act" related to the "colonisation of the Palestinian people". On his website, Lesparre describes Rimawi as being "jailed for 10 years for taking part with his people in the struggle to resist the occupation of their country". The website reportedly contains no mention of Rehavam Ze'evi's murder. Lesparre claimed that "For these acts of resistance, he was jailed in 2002 for life + 80 years" and described him as one of many Palestinians who has been "imprisoned for daring to defend their country". Lesparre also stated that "Majdi draws his strength from the Palestinian struggle and the solidarity demonstrations throughout the world". Lesparre later stated that honouring Al-Rimawi was part of a "tradition of peace, solidarity and cooperation with the Palestinian people". Lesparre was sharply criticized by Moshe Kantor, who stated that "It is inconceivable that an elected official can be so ignorant as to call a cold-blooded murderer a victim" and described the decision "outrageous and horrific". The Israeli Foreign Ministry also criticized the decision, stating that it was "humanly outrageous to honor a convicted murderer, no political view can justify it". Ron Prosor, who serves as Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, sharply condemned what he described as the "glorification of terrorists who deliberately murder innocent civilians" and questioned whether or not Bezons' will also grant citizenship to
Anders Behring Breivik Anders Behring Breivik (; born 13 February 1979), officially named Fjotolf Hansen from 2017 to 2025, and Far Skaldigrimmr Rauskjoldr av Northriki since March 2025, is a Norwegian neo-Nazi terrorist and mass murderer. He carried out the 2011 No ...
or
Osama bin Laden Osama bin Laden (10 March 19572 May 2011) was a militant leader who was the founder and first general emir of al-Qaeda. Ideologically a pan-Islamist, Bin Laden participated in the Afghan ''mujahideen'' against the Soviet Union, and support ...
. Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League stated, "This award is an insult to the French concept of justice and liberty and a perversion of French values" and charged that Bezons "is callously encouraging more violence against Jews". Lesparre subsequently accused critics of the town's decision of "hatred" and "complicity in occupation" while claiming that "It strengthens our resolve to defend the noble and just Palestinian cause". Regarding Israel's opposition to the Bezons' honouring of Al-Rimawi, Lesparre stated:"It does not surprise us that this act of solidarity invokes hostile reactions by some of the participants of the occupation of Palestinian territories. Any criticism of Israeli leaders or reference to the Palestinians' suffering is systematically condemned as anti-Semitic." In December 2014, a court ruled that the town must remove the plaque honoring Al Rimawi and declared that the Bezons' grant of honorary citizenship to Al Rimawi was invalid.


Education

There are eight preschools (''maternelles''): Marcel-Cachin, Paul-Vaillant-Couturier, Paul-Langevin, Karl-Marx, Louise-Michel, Gabriel-Péri, Jacques-Prévert, and Victor-Hugo; as well as nine elementary schools: Marcel-Cachin, Marie-Claude et Paul Vaillant-Couturier, Paul-Langevin, Karl-Marx, Louise-Michel 1, Louise-Michel 2, Victor-Hugo 1, and Victor-Hugo 2; and a single primary school, École primaire Angela-Davis.Écoles primaires
" Bezons. Retrieved on 15 June 2018.


Notable people

*
Mickaël Gaffoor Mickaël Ziard Alain Gaffoor (born 21 January 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Spanish club Unión Molinense. Club career Born in Bezons, Île-de-France, Gaffoor spent the vast majority of his profession ...
(1987-), footballer * Amine Bassi (1997-), footballer


See also

*
Communes of the Val-d'Oise department The following is a list of the 183 Communes of France, communes of the Val-d'Oise Departments of France, department of France. The communes cooperate in the following Communes of France#Intercommunality, intercommunalities (as of 2025):


References


External links


Official website
*
Association of Mayors of the Val d'Oise
{{authority control Communes of Val-d'Oise