French Politicians Submitted Bill to Crack Down on Pro-Palestine Protests

Rabat – Fourteen French senators have submitted a bill this week aiming to “penalize anti-Zionism” in France, a move critics worry is an attempt to crack down further on po-Palestinian protests.

In a series of social media posts, Senator Stephane Le Rudulier of the LR party (The Republicans) announced that he had submitted the text with 15 other politicians, according to a report from the Anadolu News Agency.

The bill represents “anti-Zionism as prohibited and condemned as anti-Semitism,” said the LR-affiliated politician.

He equated anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, arguing that “the rise of anti-Semitism is fueled by the hatred of Israel, a disguised form of hatred towards Jews.”

The proposed law includes penalties of one year in prison and a fine of €45,000 for those who challenge the existence of the State of Israel, two years in prison, and a fine of €75,000 for insulting Israel.

The bill equally includes a five-year prison sentence for a €100,000 fine for those who directly incite hatred or violence against Israel.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne last month, Rudulier deplored the “existence of a fifth column of Palestinian terrorism in France” and called for the dissolution of pro-Palestine parties such as La France Insoumise (LFI), the New Anticapitalist Party (NPA), and the Jeune Garde, which he accused of promoting terrorism.

The news comes weeks after France banned pro-Palestine protests, citing “public disturbances.” But the measure failed to yield any tangible results, with hundreds of people taking to the street days later in defiance of the ban.

The ban had been announced earlier in the day, according to a message sent by French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin to the country’s police, citing concerns about public order.

Israel’s ongoing aggression in Gaza and the West Bank has claimed the lives of 9,159 Palestinians as of today, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The majority of deaths were recorded in the Gaza Strip, with 9,025 deaths, while the death toll in the West Bank reached 134.

Another 22,000 Palestinians have been injured in Gaza and 2,100 in the West Bank.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military’s relentless air strikes has resulted in the destruction of more than 177,700 residential units and 270 attacks on hospitals and medical facilities.