The French government has announced a halt to its evacuation program for Palestinians fleeing Gaza after a Palestinian scholarship student made antisemitic comments on social media. The investigation will determine the implications for Palestinians already in France and whether security measures are sufficient.
France Halts Gaza Evacuations Amid Student Antisemitism Controversy
France Halts Gaza Evacuations Amid Student Antisemitism Controversy
France has paused its program for receiving Palestinians from Gaza while investigating antisemitic remarks made by a Palestinian student online.
France has temporarily suspended its program aimed at facilitating the safe departure of Palestinians fleeing the conflict in Gaza. This decision comes in light of an ongoing investigation into a Palestinian student accused of making antisemitic remarks online. The French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, stated that no further evacuations would occur until the investigation's conclusion.
The student in question, a 25-year-old woman on a scholarship in Lille, has faced withdrawal of her university's accreditation as a consequence of her remarks. Having arrived in France in July, she was expected to begin her studies at Sciences Po Lille this autumn, but has since been deregistered by the institution.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau expressed his strong stance on the issue via X, calling for the student's social media account to be closed and for legal action to be initiated, asserting that "Hamas propagandists have no place in our country." He further stated that any Palestinians currently in France under the evacuation scheme would undergo "new checks" following what he termed "failures" that allowed the student to come to France. Retailleau also highlighted that prior security checks conducted by French state services and Israeli authorities failed to identify the student's comments as unacceptable.
Sciences Po Lille confirmed to AFP that the student's remarks contradicted the institution's core values, supporting the decision to deregister her. This individual was part of an earlier group of Palestinians evacuated under the auspices of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, as France has successfully helped over 500 people escape Gaza since the onset of the conflict following the October 7, 2023 attacks.
The student in question, a 25-year-old woman on a scholarship in Lille, has faced withdrawal of her university's accreditation as a consequence of her remarks. Having arrived in France in July, she was expected to begin her studies at Sciences Po Lille this autumn, but has since been deregistered by the institution.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau expressed his strong stance on the issue via X, calling for the student's social media account to be closed and for legal action to be initiated, asserting that "Hamas propagandists have no place in our country." He further stated that any Palestinians currently in France under the evacuation scheme would undergo "new checks" following what he termed "failures" that allowed the student to come to France. Retailleau also highlighted that prior security checks conducted by French state services and Israeli authorities failed to identify the student's comments as unacceptable.
Sciences Po Lille confirmed to AFP that the student's remarks contradicted the institution's core values, supporting the decision to deregister her. This individual was part of an earlier group of Palestinians evacuated under the auspices of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, as France has successfully helped over 500 people escape Gaza since the onset of the conflict following the October 7, 2023 attacks.
