Rising Antisemitism Highlights 40th Annual CRIF Dinner in Paris

On February 19, 2026, Paris hosted the 40th annual dinner of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) at the Carrousel du Louvre, drawing over 1,000 attendees, including 24 ministers and former President François Hollande. The event spotlighted the alarming surge in antisemitic incidents in France, particularly since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. CRIF President Yonathan Arfi underscored the precariousness faced by the Jewish community, which makes up just 1% of the French population but endures half of all religiously motivated attacks. In 2025 alone, there were 1,320 reported antisemitic attacks, with 67.4% being personal assaults such as physical and verbal violence, as well as online abuse.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, attending alongside Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez and Minister Delegate for Equality Aurore Bergé, emphasized the necessity for new legislative tools to combat antisemitism. He highlighted the unique nature of the CRIF dinner and lamented the rapid resurgence of antisemitism within a generation. Lecornu voiced support for President Emmanuel Macron's proposal to impose disqualification penalties on elected officials guilty of antisemitic acts.

Additionally, Yonathan Arfi called on the political left to "de-Mélenchonize," criticizing the rhetoric associated with Jean-Luc Mélenchon as a growing threat to the Jewish community in France, describing La France Insoumise (LFI) as an "existential danger" for French Jews. The dinner thus not only served as a platform for solidarity but also a call for decisive political action against increasing antisemitism.