Macron wants to broaden definition of anti-Semitism
In reaction to recent acts of anti-Semitism in France, President Macron has announced to the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions that he plans to extend the official definition of anti-Semitism to include anti-Zionism, in line with the definition given by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Commentators take opposing views of the step.
Don't water down definition of anti-Semitism
Writing in Causeur, security expert Aurélien Marq sees expanding the definition of anti-Semitism as highly risky:
“Confusing the issues is dangerous because it downplays the moral gravity of anti-Semitism. From an ethical point of view how can you put hostility towards a state - whether or not it's an ally - on a par with hostility to people of flesh and blood? Of course in effect the two often go hand in hand. Nevertheless it remains the case that while wanting a state to be abolished is to be condemned and while acting on such a desire is in any event a belligerent act, it is in no way comparable to the horror of hating children simply because of their origins. And anti-Semitism is precisely that!”
Anti-Zionism is just a pretext
Anti-Zionism must be fought more resolutely, writes rabbi François Garaï in Le Temps:
“Anti-Zionism is the fig leaf that conceals deep-seated anti-Semitism. It's the political arm of anti-Semitism, nothing more and nothing less. If we can't grasp that, all the good intentions in the world are nothing but empty words. Combating anti-Semitism requires considerable staying power. It seems too difficult for certain states because it would require them to face up to their own responsibility. Their silence and their propensity to excuse anti-Semitic acts committed in the name of anti-Zionism have paved the way for the hatred of Jews.”