The French Republicans are sponsoring a bill that will make anti-Zionism a criminal offense. In a tweet, Senator Stéphane Le Rudulier revealed that 16 French senators are supporting the bill punishing those who deny the existence of the State of Israel.

According to the proposed law, anyone who insults the State of Israel would face two years imprisonment and a fine of EUR 75,000.

Editor’s Note: A similar initiative was also introduced in 2019 in France, but it did not flourish following massive criticism. In a 2019 statement, French journalist Dominique Vidal spoke out against the proposed bill. Vidal said, “This bill will reintroduce crimes of opinion…If this measure passes, Zionists will be able to ask for a ban against anti-Zionism, communists can ask for a ban against anti-communism…In short, we’re sliding towards totalitarianism”.

Time may have moved forward, but very little has changed. The Israel-Hamas war has revived the French government’s desire to control the narrative. If the French are successful in passing an authoritarian law like this, then one can expect that it will become a standard around the world. This will pave the road towards censorship of concerns that go way beyond anti-Zionism, and people will find it difficult to speak out about controversial issues.

For sure, the French government is capitalizing on the Israel-Hamas war to create policies that will institutionalize government propaganda. Also, read this article to better understand the implications of this initiative from the French senators.

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