Surge in Antisemitism in France Two Years After October 7 Hamas Attack Triggers Alarm

Two years following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, France is witnessing a dramatic and deeply troubling rise in antisemitism. According to the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (Crif), antisemitic acts in the country have soared by 1,000%, fueling anxiety and fear within the Jewish community, particularly in Île-de-France.

Many French Jews report heightened insecurity and social discomfort, with some contemplating emigration to Israel or taking protective measures such as changing or hiding their names to avoid discrimination. The distress within the community underscores how the conflict in Gaza has spilled over into France, intensifying existing societal tensions and mistrust.

The situation has sparked political and social debate. Manuel Bompard, a deputy from the leftist party La France insoumise, condemned the surge in antisemitic incidents as "unacceptable." Speaking on RTL, he reiterated his support for the Jewish community and emphasized that Jews in France should not be held responsible for the Israeli government's policies under Prime Minister Netanyahu. Bompard even called for President Emmanuel Macron to consider expelling Israel's ambassador from France as a statement against conflating French Jews with Middle Eastern political conflicts.

At the intellectual level, the attack on Israel has led to what author Pascal Bruckner describes as the "most massive Judeophobic coming out since 1945." He pointed to left-wing and extreme-left circles where the atrocities committed by Hamas are sometimes not condemned but instead justified or applauded, a phenomenon evidenced by celebratory reactions on some North American campuses immediately after the attack. This rise in public anti-Semitism reveals an alarming shift in political and social discourse.

In the daily lives of French Jews, this surge in hatred manifests in tangible fear. As one community member put it, the simple act of wearing a kippa has been abandoned in public, symbolizing the heavy toll this crisis has taken on individual safety and freedom.

France, a country long grappling with divisions and the challenge of coexistence, now faces renewed urgency to address this spike in antisemitism, protect its Jewish citizens, and restore social harmony.