France Halts Gaza Evacuations After Antisemitic Posts by Gazan Student

Latest Developments

Halt to Gaza Evacuations: France will deport a Palestinian student from Gaza and halt all further evacuations from the war-torn enclave after she allegedly posted antisemitic content on social media. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on August 1 that 25-year-old Nour Atallah “must leave the country. She does not have a place in France,” adding that “no evacuation of any kind will take place until we have drawn the consequences of this investigation.”
“Kill the Jews Everywhere”: A now-deleted social media account belonging to Atallah contained an image of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler with the caption “kill the Jews everywhere. I don’t want a Jewish lineage on this earth. You must kill them before they kill you.” French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said that Atallah’s posts were “unacceptable and concerning,” adding, “Hamas propagandists have no place in our country.” Atallah was set to begin studies at the Sciences Po University in Lille as part of a government-sponsored scholarship for Gazan students, but the institution revoked her accreditation following the posts.
France Grants Refuge to Hundreds of Gazans: France has helped evacuate over 500 people from Gaza since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 atrocities ignited the nearly two-year-long war with Israel. A French diplomat said that Atallah had arrived in France on July 11 following security checks. France’s halt of further evacuations from Gaza came after French President Emmanuel Macron announced on July 24 that Paris would formally recognize a Palestinian state in September at the UN General Assembly.

FDD Expert Response

“The sad but inescapable reality is that whenever Europe acts on its humanitarian impulse to grant shelter to those impacted by the conflicts in the Middle East, it imports the antisemitism prevalent in the region at the same time. In this case, France has taken the right step by opting for deportation. France and its fellow EU member states must now make it clear that anyone engaged in spreading antisemitic incitement will not be permitted to cross their borders.” — Ben Cohen, Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Director

“If France bars entry to Palestinians who support Hamas, violence against Israelis, or antisemitism, expect its evacuation program to slow to a trickle. These are not fringe sentiments in Gaza, as evidenced by the many Palestinians who joined Hamas’s October 7, 2023, atrocities, against Israeli civilians. They are the product of decades of incitement and indoctrination, paid for in part by EU money. Though to be fair, if Paris deported everyone in France who shared these beliefs, there would be no line to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst