France proposes anti-Semitic law against critics of Israel, Zionism

The French Senate have proposed an anti-Semitic law that would punish critics of Israel and zionism with imprisonment and heavy fines.

Article 25 of the bill states that those who contest the existence of the State of Israel by one of the means set out in Article 23 shall be punished by one year’s imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros.

“Insult committed against the State of Israel, by any of the means set out in Article 23, shall be punishable by two years’ imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros.

“Those who, by the same means, have directly provoked hatred or violence against the State of Israel shall be punished by five years’ imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 euros,” the bill stated.

Article 23 of the bill covered transmission of offensive words as follows: by speeches, shouts or threats made in public places or meetings, or by writings, prints, drawings, engravings, paintings, emblems, images or any other written medium, speech or image, sold or distributed, offered for sale or exhibited in public places or meetings.

Zionism refers to the political ideology that the state of Israel should exist as an ethno-nationalist entity.

France has no laws that protects any other nation or political ideology.

The move by France is one step ahead of the United Kingdom which passed the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill.

Passed in July, the British bill seeks to outlaw the Palestinian – led Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement.

There is a clause in the law that forbids a subject from even stating their support for BDS.

It is applicable on public bodies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

It states that public bodies must show no “regard to a territorial consideration” in a way that indicates “political or moral disapproval of foreign state conduct” in making financial decisions.

It explicitly names “Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories or the Occupied Golan Heights” as territories which can never be exempted from this protection.