Members of La France Insoumise (France Unbowed Party) and dozens of their supporters, who gathered outside the National Assembly building last month, celebrated the removal of the Yadan bill from the parliamentary agenda.
The proposal was introduced by MP Caroline Yadan , from President Emmanuel Macron's party, and aimed to expand the criminalisation of solidarity with the Palestinian people and to restrict freedom of expression, one of the most protected principles under the French constitution, which has already been regulated in France since 2001 alongside academic freedoms.
The bill sought to criminalise "indirect incitement to destroy Israel or deny its existence", by making it punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to €75,000. It also included imposing penalties for the "offence of downplaying attacks" against Israel, which would carry the punishment of one year in prison and a €45,000 fine.
Had it been voted in, it would have completely sidelined Palestinians, international law, and resolutions recognising Palestinian rights. This includes recent developments like the International Criminal Court's pursuit of Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant on charges of genocide in Gaza.
Nevertheless, supporters of the bill came from a range of political parties and across the political spectrum, including the right, parts of the left and the centre, which have supported Israel's genocidal war since 7 October 2023.
Repression under the guise of antisemitism
Despite being presented as a bill on antisemitism, it doesn't actually address this hate, which has long been a crime under French law. Rather, it seeks to broaden the scope of criminalising expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people that are expressed through popular movements, trade union efforts, intellectually and artistically.
The bill targeted anti-racism and Palestine solidarity associations, particularly Urgence Palestine, which attracts thousands of young supporters. And sought to criminalise pro-Palestine slogans repeated by millions worldwide.
The author of the bill herself has been described as deliberately conflating antisemitism with criticism of Israel, turning it into a criminal offence used to neutralise, threaten and intimidate supporters.
The proposal was said to have emerged from Benjamin Netanyahu's propaganda office, and it sought to take advantage of the political moment. Namely, the considerable support that Israel was receiving from US President Donald Trump.
With France being both home to the largest active Arab communities that often express their opposition to Israel’s crimes, and the second-largest Jewish community in the world, the bill sought to capitalise on the context under the pretence of security. Those pushing this forward attempted to implement the maximum legal restrictions possible to curb the spread of solidarity for Palestine.
Indeed, the conflation between antisemitism and pro-Palestine sentiments has long existed in France. For example, in the 1990s, the Gayssot Act was enacted, which both criminalises Holocaust denial, but also drags any views differing from the pro-Israel narrative into the mix. Even back then, the law sparked widespread controversy in academic and research circles, and critical debate around it continues.
However, the pro-Israel lobbying pressure succeeded in silencing academic and media voices who denounced the law for undermining research standards and the truth.
A shift in solidarity
Nevertheless, things have shifted in recent times, and it seems the more such laws are pushed into political establishments, from the US to France, the larger the solidarity with the Palestinian people has become. Following over two years of genocide, people have woken up to Israel’s crimes.
The weaponisation of antisemitism all these years is backfiring. And despite repressive police measures imposed on protestors over the past two years, which were mobilised by the French government, the interior and justice ministries, and had the support of far-right, right-wing and even some left-wing parties, young people across France have not been deterred.
From schoolchildren to university students, French youth continue to demonstrate in support of Palestine to this day. France’s Gen Z, in particular, has joined many around the world in its commitment to and resistance against policing measures seeking to shut down opposition to Israel’s crimes.
And contrary to reports in mainstream media, their actions have been peaceful and conscious, expressing no hostility towards others.
In many ways, the bill was tailored to the scale of global solidarity with Palestine.
Yet pro-Israel groups have portrayed this generation as calling for Israel's destruction, in line with what French-Palestinian European MP Rima Hassan has been accused of.
There have also been claims that Jewish people were being harassed by them in the streets, which has easily been disproved due to the widespread presence of cameras, especially in residential areas.
Accusations of activists desecrating Jewish cemeteries and synagogues have become repetitive and unconvincing. They are often attributed instead to the same circles or to the far right – allies united in opposition to Arabs and Muslims. Unrelenting Undeterred, Yadan is preparing a new proposal for the National Assembly that would require recognition of the Israeli state as a condition for obtaining French citizenship.
But she will face opposition, given that the petition opposing her last bill gathered more than 750,000 signatures in a very short period and was described as a historic campaign within the National Assembly
Thousands of supporters signed to express anger and condemnation over what was described as blatant interference in the French public's right to express views on the war in Gaza and Palestinian self-determination and freedom.
La France Insoumise also waged an impressive, victorious campaign to have the bill dropped, which lasted many months. They called for a defence of freedom of expression, the rejection of blackmail through the conflation of criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism, and the protection of academic research and debate on Palestine. They also rejected the criminalisation of solidarity with Palestinians.
During recent years, La France Insoumise maintained sustained attention on Palestine, Palestinian rights, Gaza, the occupation and the ongoing war across France and even within European Union countries.
Indeed, the political party, which has been gaining increasing popular support, has successfully moved its solidarity efforts, strengthened since the genocide, from ongoing street demonstrations to the National Assembly and the European Union . The fruits of this labour were clear to see following the successful withdrawal of the Yadan bill.
Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here .
Walaa Saeed Al-Samarrai is an Iraqi writer and journalist based in Paris. Have questions or comments? Email us at: editorial-english@newarab.com
Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The New Arab, its editorial board or staff.