PARIS – A French Bill aimed at combating what supporters label “new forms of anti-Semitism”, such as calls for Israel’s destruction, was withdrawn from parliamentary debate after fierce opposition from lawmakers.
In a statement, the centrist political party whose lawmakers had introduced the Bill accused the far left of obstructing debates in order to stall the process and prevent a vote.
The party, Together for the Republic, which is linked to President Emmanuel Macron, said it decided to freeze the Bill after the government pledged to introduce an identical proposal in late June. A government-led effort would, in theory, gather more support than legislation from a single party.
A person close to Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said a new Bill is set to be presented before summer but insisted that the text will be drafted based on cross-party discussions, which means it will not be identical to the existing legislation.
The withdrawn Bill would have made it illegal to advocate for the destruction of a state recognised by France – a provision supporters say targets rhetoric such as calls for Israel’s elimination, rather than criticism of its government or policies.
It would have also broadened the definition of “apology for terrorism” to include speech that implicitly justifies terrorist acts, with violations punishable by up to five years in prison.
The measure would have build on France’s current laws targeting hate speech and banning Holocaust denialism.
Opponents, including much of the left but also some Macron allies, countered that it risked conflating criticism of the Israeli government with anti-Semitism, potentially criminalising political expression, including activism, academic work and journalism. A petition against it surpassed 700,000 signatures last week. BLOOMBERG
