(MEPs are due to vote on a motion for a resolution against anti-Semitism, tabled by Sylvain Maillard, MP, on Tuesday, December 3. Controversial, this text proposes that France adopt, at the European Parliament, the definition of anti-Semitism established by the International Alliance for the Remembrance of the Holocaust (IHRA) in 2016. This includes "manifestations of hatred towards the State of Israel justified by the mere perception of the latter as a Jewish community, "recalls the text of Mr. Maillard.)
Tribune. That the National Assembly seize the issue of the fight against racism in France, including the fight against anti-Semitism, what's more normal? But the motion for a resolution "To fight against anti-Semitism", often referred to as "Maillard resolution", put on the agenda of the National Assembly on December 3, responds in a very questionable way to real questions. This fight that was to bring us together, and to gather the French population around its elected officials, is controversial today.
Can the different forms of racism that plague France be masked? The answer is yes, obviously, and it's true for all forms of racism. But must this be stigmatized a political opinion, anti-Zionism, at the risk of seriously undermining the freedom of expression? The idea of a law on the subject was quickly dismissed. To return it in the form of a parliamentary resolution does not make more sense, except to believe that the texts voted by the deputies would not bear any consequences.
Dangerous slope
The second question posed by this resolution is that of the definition of anti-Semitism. Should we define antisemitism, taking the risk of having to define each type of racism? Of course we have the right to ask the question, but the slope is dangerous; French legislation has so far been careful not to do so, including the Gayssot law, which represses the denial of all crimes against humanity, whatever they may be.
And if we really want to define antisemitism, which definition to choose? This is where the definition of anti-Semitism adopted by the International Alliance for the Memory of the Holocaust (IHRA) came into play in May 2016, the adoption of which is at the heart of the Maillard resolution. A definition of ordinary appearance, but associated with "examples" supposed to illustrate it, a good half of which refer to the State of Israel.
