Tensions in France over how to respond to a rise in antisemitism have been running high. A government-backed bill that aimed to deal with the problem was rightly denounced as an attack on freedom of expression before being quietly shelved by the government last month.

Introduced in 2024 by Caroline Yadan, a member of the national assembly, the draft legislation was intended to counter “new forms of antisemitism”. But while its explanatory memorandum raised legitimate concerns about the sharp rise in incidents of antisemitism recorded since the Hamas massacres in Israel on 7 October 2023, its wording quickly veered toward a different objective: curbing the ability to criticise Israel.

It must be possible to denounce the many crimes – extensively documented – committed by Israel, and to do so repeatedly without risking sanctions. Freedom of expression in France allows individuals to voice any form of sentiment towards any country as long as there is no incitement to violence.

But the purpose of Yadan’s bill seemed clear. It proposed widening the existing offence of “glorifying terrorism” so that “indirect incitement” could be punished. The draft introduced a new offence penalising the act of “inciting the destruction or denial of a state”.

Originally elected for Emmanuel Macron’s party to represent French citizens abroad, including in Israel and Palestine, Yadan distanced herself from the president’s political movement last year when he announced France’s recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Her draft legislation raised concerns on several levels. First, the creation of “indirect” or “insidious” – and therefore implicit – offences of glorifying terrorism would effectively force courts to infer a person’s intent. This is an........

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