France’s President Emmanuel Macron denounced what he called an “antisemitic hydra” that has crept into “every crack” of society during a ceremony on the anniversary of the killing of Ilan Halimi, a French Jewish young man tortured to death in 2006.
He specifically condemned the “Islamist antisemitism which was behind the pogrom of October 7th.”
The President also denounced “far-left antisemitism,” stating it often uses the “mask of anti-Zionism to advance quietly.” To combat this, Macron said he wanted “mandatory electoral bans” for officials guilty of antisemitic acts and pledged to strengthen judicial penalties, noting that current sentences often seem “derisory.”
The urgency of these measures is reflected in the 646 antisemitic incidents recorded in France during the first half of 2025. Data shows that 3,300 French Jews emigrated to Israel in 2025, marking a 45% increase over the previous year. While Russia remains the largest source of immigrants to Israel, France now ranks third globally.
The situation has caused diplomatic tension, with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding tougher action from Paris following a series of vandalism on Jewish sites in Paris.
Leader of the Rassemblement National (RN), Marine Le Pen also addressed the growing crisis, stating on X: “This reminder pains me to say it: in twenty years, antisemitism has increased in our country. The antisemitic acts recorded by the ministry of the interior have multiplied by three, with a particular surge since the Hamas pogrom of 7th October.”
