Erik Strand, 11.11.23
A group of 16 French senators have proposed a bill that would make criticism of Zionism a criminal offence. The bill has sparked debate in France.
Senator Stéphane le Rudulier stated the following on X on October 31, 2023:
“With 16 senators we demand the criminalization of anti-Zionism. The explosion of anti-Semitism is fueled by hatred of Israel, the false nose of hatred of Jews Anti-Zionism could expose its perpetrators to up to 5 years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros,”
Senator Rudulier has even called for a French political party, La France Insoumise, to be dissolved. La France Insoumise is a political party whose presidential candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, came in fourth in the 2017 French presidential campaign and third in the 2022 election.
Among those who have criticised the bill, we find Richard Wagman, the honorary president of the French Jewish Union for Peace (UJFP). He has emphasized that anti-Semitism is a form of racial discrimination and hatred, while Zionism and anti-Zionism are political ideas.
One can read which senators have proposed the bill at the French parliament’s website. These are:
Stéphane LE RUDULIER
Bruno BELIN
Catherine BELRHITI
Martine BERTHET
Gilbert BOUCHET
Max BRISSON
Sabine DREXLER
Christophe-André FRASSA
Joël GUERRIAU
Lauriane JOSENDE
Roger KAROUTCHI
Florence LASSARADE
Jean-François LONGEOT
Olivier PACCAUD
Stéphane PIEDNOIR
Pierre Jean ROCHETTE
Fampo 