“‘From the river to the sea’ is a call for destruction and should be punished if the law is adopted,” French MP Caroline Yadan told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday, as her bill to combat renewed forms of antisemitism enters its final stages.
The French National Assembly Law Committee has already adopted Yadan’s Bill 575. Her new law will soon be deliberated on by the full assembly. It seeks to combat “renewed forms of antisemitism,” including anti-Zionism and Holocaust minimization.
Yadan, who is Jewish, has always fought against antisemitism, including in her work as a jurist, a Paris deputy, and a representative of French citizens in Israel.
She told the Post that after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, she saw an explosion of antisemitism in France and worldwide, realizing that more must be done legislatively to “better combat and define what antisemitism looks like today, in its renewed forms, not only its traditional ones.”
“My reflection began with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which was adopted by the National Assembly in 2019 and by the Senate in 2021. I asked myself how to integrate that into the law.”
Bill against antisemitism is built around several pillars
The new bill is built around several pillars. The first concerns the glorification of terrorism. Since October 7, hatred of Jews has been expressed through praise for groups like Hamas and through the legitimization of terrorist acts.
Yadan told the Post that she wanted to strengthen sanctions and broaden the scope of laws dealing with the glorification of terrorism, particularly focusing on praise for perpetrators.
Another key pillar concerns comparisons with the Holocaust. This includes exaggerated comparisons, trivialization, and minimization. Yadan drew on existing cases in the law and incorporated judicial precedents into the bill.
More acutely, the central pillar, “the core of the law,” concerns calls for the destruction or negation of a country.
“Not just Israel – no country in the world should be subject to calls for destruction simply because of criticism of its government,” she said. For this reason, the law does not name Israel and was instead drafted to use universal phrasing. To have named Israel would have made it unconstitutional, Yadan said.
To strengthen the bill’s legality and reduce constitutional risk, Yadan sought an advisory opinion from the French Council of State, which recommended that she remove the reference to the negation of a country and retain only calls for a country’s destruction.
Its wording still directly relates to anti-Zionism in cases where it manifests in calls for Israel’s destruction. Yadan believes this should also include chants such as “from the river to the sea,” which she hopes will be punishable under the law if it passes.
After revising the wording, she submitted the bill with 120 co-signatories from across the political spectrum, excluding the extreme Left or Right.
Interministerial Delegation for the Fight Against Racism, Antisemitism, and Anti-LGBT Hate (DILCRAH) has since supported it, as well as a government-commissioned report following national consultations on antisemitism.
The bill passed France’s Law Commission on January 23 by 18 votes to 14, despite enormous pressure, including “daily harassment of lawmakers, demonstrations, and even a song targeting me in front of the assembly,” Yadan said.
One of the main criticisms of the bill, especially from pro-Palestinian NGOs and the far-left party La France Insoumise, is that the bill could threaten freedom of expression/speech and could prevent people from supporting Palestinians and/or criticizing Israel.
Yadan rejected such a notion: “It does not restrict freedom of expression, nor does it sanction criticism of a government. It does not punish pro-Palestinian positions or expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people. The bill targets hateful expression, speech that uses the State of Israel as a vehicle to generalize a people, in this case, Jews.”
“As a lawyer, it was crucial for me to ensure compliance with freedom of expression and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Freedom of expression exists, but it has limits when speech incites hatred or legitimizes violence against individuals or communities based on origin, identity, or religion.”
Yadan added that the law does not create much; it simply draws on existing jurisprudence. What is new is the creation of a specific offense for calling for the destruction of a state.
Additionally, Yadan’s law does not protect a state; it protects individuals who are associated with that state. “When you call for the destruction of Israel, by extension, you call for the destruction of the Jewish people as a group.”
“We cannot claim to fight antisemitism while allowing calls for the destruction of a country, meaning the destruction of a people,” she added.
Intent matters when enforcing law against antisemitism
In terms of enforcement, intent matters. As Yadan put it, “a 10-year-old repeating a slogan in a schoolyard is not the same as a political figure or activist using it knowingly.” Judges will retain discretion.
“But as a legislator, my position is clear: these words must be sanctioned because they legitimize violence against Jews in France and elsewhere.”
On the subject of antisemitism in France, Yadan, as a Jewish woman in French politics, has experienced her fair share of antisemitic harassment, attacks, and insults.
“Entering politics requires a thick skin. I am at the center of this hatred – online, [and/or] through threats and insults. But the more attacks I receive, the more convinced I am that my fight is just,” she said.
Particularly worrying, Yadan continued, is the rampant and deep-rooted antisemitism within the far-left La France Insoumise. This political party has been legally recognized as deeply antisemitic by a court ruling on November 6, 2025.
“That party is the heir to the antisemitic Left of the 1930s, operating today under the banners of morality, human rights, and anti-racism,” she said.
Yadan added that antisemitism has “mutated” and is now openly expressed by figures within the LFI in the National Assembly.
“I fight this daily, as a woman, as a Jewish woman, and as the granddaughter of Shoah survivors.”
Nevertheless, Yadan stressed that she does have many allies in parliament. “When I call for actions such as the resignation of [United Nations Special Rapporteur] Francesca Albanese, most of my parliamentary group supports me.”
“There is real resistance in France, unlike in countries such as Belgium, the UK, or Spain, where antisemitism has become institutionalized.”
This resistance is linked to France’s concept of secularism and republican values (laïcité).
“Secularism is a protective barrier,” Yadan said. “It ensures that faith does not override law and that all citizens are equal before the [French] Republic.”
“It is also a protection against Islamism and against attempts to impose religious values, such as Sharia law, in public life. France is one of the few countries to have passed a law in 2021 that reinforces republican principles and combats separatism.”
“There is growing awareness, and strong voices are uniting to denounce these threats. That is what still makes France different,” she said.
The new Anti-Religious Acts Report 2025 by the French Interior Ministry revealed last week that over half of the anti-religious actions committed in France in 2025 were against Jews.
Of the almost 2,500 anti-religious acts carried out last year, 1,320 were antisemitic in nature. While this did represent a 16% decrease as compared to 2024, the ministry noted that antisemitic actions remain at a historically high level.
Given that such a high percentage of attacks are against Jews, who represent less than 1% of the total population, does Yadan believe there is a future for Jews in France?
“It is late, but it is not midnight yet. We must continue to resist. Today, unlike our ancestors, we have a refuge called Israel, which is essential. But many of us choose to remain in France to continue fighting from within,” she answered.
“I refuse to give up. If all Jews leave, that would be a real defeat. French Jews love the republic and France.”
“There is no point in commemorating the Shoah if we allow the same causes to produce the same effects. This law is not a magic solution, but it addresses part of that responsibility,” she said.