127 French Jewish intellectual reject assimilating anti-Zionism to antisemitism

Paris (QNN)- A group of 127 French Jewish intellectuals, NGOs and French deputies invited the French parliament to oppose a proposal for a resolution assimilating antisemitism and anti-Zionism.

“We Jewish scholars and intellectuals from Israel and elsewhere, many of whom are specialists in anti-Semitism and the history of Judaism and the Holocaust, raise our voices against this draft resolution,” the group wrote in a statement.

The intellectuals opposed the resolution, as it is based on a controversial definition of antisemitism by the International Alliance of the memory of the Holocaust (IHRA).

“For the many Jews who see themselves as anti-Zionists, this fusion is deeply offensive,” says the group.

“Many victims of the Holocaust were anti-Zionists,” said the signatories of the appeal. “For Palestinians, Zionism represents dispossession, displacement, occupation and structural inequalities. (…) They oppose Zionism not because of hatred towards Jews, but because they live Zionism as an oppressive political movement”.

They also stated that the IHRA definition is “already used to stigmatize and silence critics of Israel”.

According to Le Monde, Gwendal Rouillard and Fadila Khattabi, as well as parliamentarians from the PCF and MoDem, called for the withdrawal of the draft resolution, which “responds in a very dubious way to real questions” in the fight against Semitism.

In October, 39 organizations wrote an open letter to National Assembly President Richard Ferrand warning against passing the resolution. The letter said the resolution would “weaken the universalist approach” to combating all forms of racism” and compromise “defense of freedom of expression and assembly for groups and activists that must be allowed to defend the rights of Palestinians and criticize Israel’s policy without being falsely accused of anti-Semitism.”