Meyer Habib

Meyer Dov Habib (born 28 April 1961) is a French-Israeli businessman and politician who served as a member of the French National Assembly from 2013 to 2024, representing the eighth constituency for French residents overseas, which encompasses Israel and several North African and Middle Eastern countries. A Sephardic Jew of Tunisian descent raised in a Zionist environment, Habib built a successful career in the jewelry trade before entering politics as an independent initially affiliated with centrist groups and later the Republicans. Known as the first observant Jew elected to the Assembly, he gained prominence for his unwavering defense of Israel, close ties to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and vocal opposition to antisemitism amid rising tensions in France and Europe. His tenure included significant interventions on foreign policy and diaspora issues but was marked by controversies, such as the 2023 invalidation of his election due to alleged irregularities and criticisms from left-wing opponents over his pro-Israel rhetoric, including calls for sanctions against him for purported "war crime propaganda." Habib lost his seat in the 2024 legislative elections to a candidate from President Macron's Renaissance party.

Meyer Habib was born on April 28, 1961, in Paris's 12th arrondissement to parents of Tunisian Jewish origin. His father, Emmanuel Roger Habib, was born on July 18, 1920, in Tunis to a Jewish family shortly after World War I; Emmanuel founded Vins Habib Frères, a kosher wine producer, and emerged as a leader within the Tunisian Jewish community in France, maintaining ties to Israeli figures such as Menachem Begin. The family's Sephardic heritage traced back to North African Jewish roots, with Habib's grandfather Moïse Habib originating from Tunisian lineage.

Habib was raised in Paris's 19th arrondissement, where he received a traditional Jewish education emphasizing religious observance and community values. This upbringing instilled a strong sense of Jewish identity and familial ties to Tunisia's Jewish diaspora, influencing his later pro-Israel advocacy amid France's North African Jewish immigrant context post-independence.

Habib received his early education in Paris, attending a Jewish school amid a vibrant community environment that emphasized traditional Jewish values. Born on April 28, 1961, to parents of Tunisian Jewish origin, he grew up in the 19th arrondissement, where family and communal life reinforced religious observance and cultural identity.