French National Assembly heatedly debates bill to combat antisemitism in higher education - Mathilda Heller

 

by Mathilda Heller

LFI deputy leader, Mathilde Panot, said antisemitism was being exploited "to silence voices for peace on the genocide in Palestine."

 

Philippe Baptiste, Minister attached to the Minister of State, Minister for National Education, Higher Education and Research, speaks during the session of questions to the government at the National Assembly in Paris, France, on May 6, 2025.

(photo credit: Telmo Pinto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

France's National Assembly is set to continue its second day of discussions over a bill to combat antisemitism in higher education after the text was unanimously approved by the Senate. This follows a tense first day of debate in the assembly on Tuesday.

The text was brought by Pierre Henriet and Constance Le Grip, with the aim of enhancing prevention and reporting systems in French education, as well as making it mandatory that each university have a representative responsible for the fight against racism and antisemitism.

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"Not a single student should hesitate to go class because they feel there is the potential for antisemitism," Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste said at the start, adding that "Since October 7, 2023, we have witnessed an alarming increase in antisemitic acts in our society, and higher education, unfortunately, has not been spared."

Article 3 - the most controversial - is set to be discussed on Wednesday afternoon. The first article of the text, however, which centers on providing training regarding the fight against antisemitism, racism, discrimination, violence, and hatred, was voted on in the Tuesday debate, having already been adopted by the Senate.

La France Insoumise voted against the first article, proposing it instead be rewritten using the definition of discrimination in the penal code, which does not mention antisemitism. Notably, Article 1 is based on the dissemination of the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

Louis Boyard, deputy of the La France Insoumise - Nouveau Front Populaire group, is seen during the questions to the government session at the National Assembly in Paris, France, on May 6, 2025. (credit: Telmo Pinto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The no vote caused tension to break out in the assembly, with Minister Delegate for Equality between Women and Men and the Fight against Discrimination, Aurore Bergé, accusing LFI of "increasing fear towards our Jewish compatriots," and LFI deputy leader, Mathilde Panot, retorting that Bergé was "exploiting antisemitism to silence voices for peace on the genocide in Palestine."

A 'common disciplinary area'

Article 3 of the bill was originally deleted during its examination by the assembly committee. It calls for the creation of a "common disciplinary area" for higher-education institutions in the same academic region, which would be chaired by a member of the administrative court. Henriet then advocated for its re-introduction, AFP said.

Henriet cited research by the Union of Jewish Students in France, which found that nine out of ten students say they have experienced antisemitism at university.

According to MoDem MP Géraldine Bannier, "Strengthening disciplinary procedures is necessary, as antisemitic acts are too rarely punished."

However, the Green Party and LFI opposed the bill; "The desire to professionalize disciplinary justice by resorting to an administrative judge breaks with the tradition of autonomous universities," said Green MP Steevy Gustave.

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Mathilda Heller

Source: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-852988

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