A proposal by a Zionist member of French parliament to criminalize all criticism of Israel has sparked outrage among activists and politicians.
Caroline Yadan, the member of the French National Assembly, will submit a bill that, among other things, would ban “the denial of the State of Israel.”
The bill would also prohibit expressions like “from the river to the sea,” during protests against Israel.
European lawmaker Rima Hassan wrote in a message on X that Israel “deserves criticism,” since it has “violated all United Nations resolutions for decades and commits the most heinous international crimes.”
Yadan, who belongs to President Emmanuel Macron's party, “seeks to suppress the freedom of thought, criticism, and writing,” Jean-Philippe Cazier, French poet and author wrote on X.
The lawmaker, Cazier said, is seeking “to prevent condemnation of the genocide committed by Israel in Gaza.”
French member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan also wrote on the social media platform that if there’s only one regime “that deserves criticism, it is Israel.”
The Israeli regime has “violated all United Nations resolutions for decades and commits the most heinous international crimes,” Hassan said.
In a related development, Pro-Palestine protesters staged a demonstration at the headquarters of the French Football Federation in Paris, demanding the cancellation of the upcoming UEFA Nations League match between the French and Israeli teams.
Video footage of protests posted on social media shows protesters gathered in the lobby, where they waved Palestinian flags and held banners condemning Israel.
The French Football Federation has agreed to meet with the protesters to discuss their demands, according to the French daily Le Figaro.