French MPs withdraw controversial ‘anti-Semitism’ bill

The draft law was criticized for allegedly conflating legitimate criticism of Israel with anti-Jewish sentiment

French lawmakers linked to President Emmanuel Macron have withdrawn a controversial bill aimed at expanding anti-Semitism laws in the country, which had been set for debate in parliament on Thursday.

The “law to combat renewed forms of anti-Semitism” was drafted in 2024 by a group of MPs led by Caroline Yadan, a lawmaker affiliated with Macron’s Renaissance Party. Despite the withdrawal, lawmakers have reportedly indicated they may reintroduce a similar proposal by June.

The draft aimed to broaden the definition of “apology for terrorism” to include “indirect” speech deemed pro-terrorist. It also sought to make it illegal to call for the destruction of any country recognized by France.

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The initiative has faced significant pushback, with critics warning that the bill “conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel.” A petition against the proposal, published on the French parliament’s website, gathered more than 700,000 signatures as of Thursday.

Critics have also warned that the proposed law could restrict legitimate free speech and potentially fuel the very anti-Jewish sentiment it was intended to combat, according to France24.

According to France’s Jewish protection organization SPCJ, at least 1,320 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded in the country last year, maintaining the sharp rise seen after the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023. The Israeli military operation in Gaza has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian authorities, and has drawn mounting international criticism.

France, where Muslims make up an estimated one-tenth of the population, formally recognized Palestinian statehood last year, joining a wave of Western nations advocating a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict.