French antisemitism being stoked by far-left, minister tells mayors conference

Antisemitism is being weaponized in France by members of the far-left for political purposes, a French minister tells a delegation of mayors from across Europe.

“We are facing political forces, in France, from the far left, that have instrumentalized the violence being caused, the suffering of the Israeli people, to mislead the French population, to give a kind of foreign legitimacy to antisemitism, and to bring this conflict into our society for political gain,” French Minister Delegate for Europe Benjamin Haddad told the European Summit of Mayors Against Antisemitism in Paris yesterday. “This is something we have to constantly fight with the same democratic, republican, universal values that bind us together.”

The summit, organized by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, brought more than 100 mayors and municipal leaders from over 130 cities across 30 European countries to confront surging hatred toward Jewish communities on Wednesday and Thursday. The event, one of the largest of its type in Europe in recent years, was co-produced with the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF), the European Jewish Congress, and the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage.

Haddad also urged greater oversight of EU-funded NGOs, saying “too much opacity and too little control” has allowed money to reach groups tied to antisemitic rhetoric.

Other officials emphasized the role of local governments. “Action locally is key,” said Katharina von Schnurbein, the EU’s antisemitism coordinator, who received CAM’s Global Leadership Award.