France Proposes Bill to Punish Critics of Israel With Prison Time & Massive Fines

Members of the French Senate have introduced a bill to criminalize criticism of the state of Israel punishable by up to 5 years in prison and hefty fines.

16 French Senators proposed a law that seeks to punish critics of Israel with three tiers of prison time and fines up to 100,000 euros.

New bill in the French 🇫🇷 Senate : ‘An insult committed against the State of Israel is punishable by two years of imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros.’ pic.twitter.com/fACXDUi7MJ

— David Adler (@davidrkadler) November 3, 2023

The tiers are as follows:

• 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.

Bonjour Monsieur le député, pourquoi m’avez-vous bloquée ? Bon, j’ai ma petite idée : cette proposition de loi que vous voulez faire passer en soumsoum selon laquelle toute injure envers Israël sera punie de 2 ans d’emprisonnement. La❓que tt le monde se pose injure = critique ? pic.twitter.com/ckVB2S1r6C

— Rima Hassan (@RimaHas) November 3, 2023

Article 23 of the bill outlines a long list of means of criticizing the state of Israel.

…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

Senator Stephane Le Rudulier claimed Friday that the bill was necessary because “anti-Zionism” is linked to the increase in anti-Semitism.

Des sénateurs français déposent une loi pour pénaliser l’antisionisme. « Le risque de l’importation du conflit est grand. En France, on brûle dans des manifestations des drapeaux israéliens »

Stéphane Le Rudulier, sénateur LR à l’origine du texte pic.twitter.com/mWN97ILQvn

— i24NEWS Français (@i24NEWS_FR) November 3, 2023

The anti-democratic proposal was widely panned on social media.

So French people can insult their own government but not the government of Israel?

Make it make sense.

— Ali (@Ali_TeslaMY) November 3, 2023

Any ways free Palestine pic.twitter.com/jDN19d7ykm

— Tony (@_txnnyy) November 4, 2023

Liberté, égalité, fraternité pic.twitter.com/tyPrkDFptA

— Ali :: علی :: अली ::🇨🇭 (@Ali_Haq_Sabr) November 3, 2023

Astonishing. What happened to the much-talked about French liberalism?

— Muhsin Ibrahim (@muhsin234) November 3, 2023

Freedom of speech*

*Terms and conditions apply

— Abah (@chairmanGLC) November 4, 2023

no way LMFAOOOO pic.twitter.com/Wv4FwgGpy0

— shoe (@shoe0nhead) November 4, 2023

olympic level meat riding

— fka docnoir (@DocNoirII) November 3, 2023

France last month banned pro-Palestine protests “because they are likely to generate disturbances to the public order,” according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.

Paris also announced it would arrest pro-Palestine activist organizers and deport “trouble makers.”

No group, state, organization or individual should be immune from criticism in a truly free society.

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