At Ilan Halimi memorial, Macron says antisemitism 'crept into every crack' of French society
Macron's call to ban antisemitic lawmakers appears to be aimed at Syrian-Palestinian Rima Hassan, a far-left, anti-Israel extremist who took part in last year's Gaza flotilla
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday denounced the "hydra" of antisemitism that had crept into “every crack” of French society.
The leader delivered the remarks at a ceremony commemorating Ilan Halimi, a French Jewish man tortured to death in 2006.
Macron decried the “Islamist antisemitism” behind the Hamas-led massacre of Israelis on October 7, 2023, as well as “far-left antisemitism… which rivals that of the far right,” and “antisemitism that uses the mask of anti-Zionism to advance quietly.”
Macron's own harsh anti-Israel rhetoric over the Gaza war, his backing of the unilateral Palestinian push for statehood, and his government's handling of skyrocketing levels of antisemitism among North African immigrants in France have been repeatedly criticized by Israeli officials.
In his Friday speech he appeared to target controversial French lawmaker Rima Hassan, saying he wanted “mandatory electoral bans” for officials guilty of “antisemitic, racist, and discriminatory acts and remarks.”
Hassan, who serves in the European parliament, is of Palestinian-Syrian origin. A member of the far-left France Unbowed party, she partook in a flotilla that tried to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, leading to her arrest and deportation by Israeli authorities. Her extreme anti-Israeli views often cross over into overt and conspiratorial antisemitism.
"Government and parliament will work to strengthen the penalties for antisemitic and racist acts," Macron further added.