In an attempt to curb the explosion in antisemitic acts on French soil since the October 7th attacks, the minister delegate for anti-discrimination opened the first conference on combating antisemitism in Paris on Monday, May 6th, bringing together representatives of religious denominations and associations. She called for a “collective awakening”.
Representatives of various religious denominations all attended, which was impressive as this was the first time such an event had been held. They included the archbishop of Rennes, who is responsible for relations with Judaism at the French bishops’ conference, the president of the Israelite Central Consistory of France, the chief rabbi of France, the president of the Protestation Federation of France, and the rector of the Great Mosque of Paris.
During the discussions, the conference highlighted the new face of French antisemitism. There is an overlap between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, and the population concerned is getting younger: 35% of the under-25s (compared with 21% of the total population) feel it is justified to attack Jews because of their supposed support for Israel.
Antisemitism in France today has a direct impact on French people of the Jewish faith. A quarter of French Jews say they have been the victim of an antisemitic act since October 7th. 44% of people who wear distinctive religious symbols say they have removed them, and a third of French Jews have reduced or stopped using ride-hailing apps for fear of being attacked by a driver—it’s been common knowledge for a long time that Uber drivers and others are often of Muslim background.
The conference was followed by the traditional CRIF banquet (Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France), a not-to-be-missed event in French political life, which is always attended by representatives of the government, on the evening of Holocaust Remembrance Day. This year, Minister Delegate Aurore Bergé, who initiated the conference against antisemitism, was present, as was the prime minister, Gabriel Attal.
During the evening, the prime minister put forward the figure of “366 antisemitic incidents” recorded in the first quarter of 2024, representing “an increase of 300% on the first three months of 2023.” He lamented a wave of antisemitism “of a rare magnitude, stronger, more violent, more hated and more established than in recent years.”
Gabriel Attal used the event as an opportunity to attack Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National, claiming their support for French people of the Jewish faith was “absolute cynicism” because it was based on “an anti-Muslim reflex.” For their part, the Rassemblement National and Reconquête parties are garnering more and more support from French Jews, who criticise the blindness of members of the majority—refusing to explicitly link the explosion of antisemitism to the presence in France of Muslim populations who unabashedly support the cause of Hamas against Israel.
Aurore Bergé announced her intention to follow up the conference on combating antisemitism with a new meeting to be held after the European elections, this time involving all the political parties, with a parliamentary group in both the National Assembly and the Senate.
