The French National Assembly Law Committee on Tuesday adopted a controversial bill aimed at combating “renewed forms of antisemitism,” including anti-Zionism and Holocaust minimization.
The fighting against renewed forms of antisemitism bill was brought by Jewish MP Carolina Yadan, who seeks to combat modern antisemitism in the form of Israel-hatred.
The bill passed 18-16, with most of its support coming from the governing majority and the far Right. The Left voted against it. The bill will now be deliberated by the full assembly.
Normalized hatred on display
“Today, anti-Jewish hatred in our country is fueled by an obsessive hatred of Israel, which is regularly delegitimized in its existence and criminalized,” Yadan said in the bill’s memorandum.
This hatred is “disguised under the mask of progressivism and human rights” and is displayed “without shame in the streets, at universities, and on social media,” she added.
The bill seeks to make three key expansions to existing law. Firstly, it makes implicit praise of antisemitism punishable, not just explicit approval. Secondly, it treats praising perpetrators the same as praising acts of antisemitism. Thirdly, it considers downplaying or trivializing terrorism as a form of praise.
This would expand Holocaust denial from express denial to also include gross minimization or trivialization, and it would criminalize comparisons between Israel and Nazis.
It also introduces a new crime: publicly calling for the destruction of a state recognized by France, which violates the right of peoples to self-determination, as outlined in the UN Charter.
This part is widely seen to be aimed at chants calling for the end of Israel, such as “from the river to the sea.”
Critics of the bill have argued that it could criminalize ambiguous statements, irony, slogans, or political framing, and that it blurs the line between antisemitism and criticism of Israel.
“Turning public speech on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a penalized arena risks deepening divisions rather than easing them,” Socialist MP Marietta Karamanli said. “We support a reasonable and balanced approach. At this stage, we are not in favor of this text.”
La France Insoumise MP Gabrielle Cathala said: “This text does not make it possible to combat antisemitism. It does not protect Jews. It protects a policy – that of the State of Israel and its criminal leaders – a policy of apartheid, a colonial enterprise, and genocide of the Palestinian people.”
Yadan, in her speech before the vote, said: “There is always, alas, a ‘good reason’ to hate Jews. Today, that ‘good reason’ is called Israel.”
“Antisemitism is never an isolated phenomenon,” she said. “It is always a warning. It is the first symptom of a violence that, sooner or later, spreads, expands, and strikes more broadly. It is the dress rehearsal for a hatred that never stops at its first target. When it flourishes, it is our collective responsibility that falters. That is why we must act.”