France's controversial antisemitism bill withdrawn, new draft law expected late June

France's controversial draft law that aims to combat rising antisemitism was withdrawn on Thursday, with the government expected to present another draft law in late June.

At the request of the Ensemble pour la Republique group, the French government vowed to submit a bill that fully incorporates Caroline Yadan’s proposed legislation, according to the group's press release seen by broadcaster BFM TV.

The bill on antisemitism will ultimately not be examined in the chamber this Thursday.

"It is now clear that this text will not have time to be examined this week (…) Under these conditions, we have requested and obtained from the government that it bypass LFI’s (La France insoumise) obstruction" and commit "to the tabling of a bill,” the group wrote in the statement.

The text will be presented in June, with examination set to begin in the Senate, the statement added.

The draft legislation, introduced by lawmaker Caroline Yadan, was presented in November 2024 as a response to what officials describe as “new forms” of antisemitism following the war in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023.

At its core, the proposal rests on the idea that hostility toward Israel is increasingly inseparable from hostility toward Jews, a view openly embraced by Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who has described contemporary anti-Zionism as the “mask” of antisemitism.

The Socialist Party, LFI and the Europe Ecology, The Greens have all rejected the bill, arguing that it risks criminalizing political expression, particularly in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.