The draft law was criticized for allegedly conflating legitimate criticism of Israel with anti-Jewish sentiment
A cartoon placard showing a pro-Palestinian protester being silenced at a rally against the Yadan bill, Paris, France, April 16, 2026. © Getty Images / Adnan Farzat/NurPhoto
French
lawmakers linked to President Emmanuel Macron have withdrawn a
controversial bill aimed at expanding anti-Semitism laws in the country,
which had been set for debate in parliament on Thursday.
The “law to combat renewed forms of anti-Semitism”
was drafted in 2024 by a group of MPs led by Caroline Yadan, a lawmaker
affiliated with Macron’s Renaissance Party. Despite the withdrawal,
lawmakers have reportedly indicated they may reintroduce a similar
proposal by June.
The draft aimed to broaden the definition of
‘apology for terrorism’ to include ‘indirect’ speech deemed
pro-terrorist. It also sought to make it illegal to call for the
destruction of any country recognized by France.
The initiative faced significant pushback, with critics warning that the bill “conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel.”
A petition against the proposal published on the French parliament’s
website gathered more than 700,000 signatures as of Thursday.
Critics
also said the proposed law could restrict legitimate free speech and
potentially fuel the anti-Jewish sentiment it was intended to combat,
according to France24.
According to France’s Jewish protection
organization, the SPCJ, at least 1,320 anti-Semitic incidents were
recorded in the country last year, maintaining the sharp rise seen after
the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023. The Israeli military
operation in Gaza has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, according
to the Palestinian authorities, and has drawn mounting international
criticism.
France, where Muslims
make up an estimated one-tenth of the population, formally recognized
Palestinian statehood last year, joining a wave of Western nations
advocating a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict.