“A whole generation is being shaped by the fight against imperialism and genocide in Gaza. No amount of state repression can erase that,” a pro-Palestine activist told The New Arab. [Getty]
In France, speaking out for Palestine has never been more dangerous.
The government has ramped up its crackdown on pro-Palestinian movements, dissolving activist groups, prosecuting supporters, and even floating the idea of stripping citizenship from politicians who express sympathy for the Palestinian cause.
On 28 February, several French ministers proposed revoking the citizenship of Rima Hassan, a newly elected member of the European Parliament, for arguing that Hamas’s armed struggle could be viewed as legitimate under international law.
A qualified jurist, Hassan argued that “armed struggle in a context of colonisation” is justified, while condemning specific methods such as hostage-taking and civilian attacks.
Hassan, who is of Palestinian origin, has been under fire since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza. She and other members of La France Insoumise (LFI), France’s most prominent leftist party, have been attacked simply for wearing a keffiyeh or brandishing the Palestinian flag.
Meanwhile, in mainstream French political discourse, Hamas’s attack on Israel is framed as an act of religious extremism, divorced from the decades-long occupation, siege, and the suffering of the Palestinian people.
Anyone attempting to introduce historical context risks being labelled an apologist for terrorism or worse, an “antisemite”.
Crackdown on pro-Palestine groups in France
On 20 February, France’s Council of State upheld a government decree dissolving the pro-Palestinian collective Collectif Palestine Vaincra, citing the group’s failure to moderate social media comments deemed “hateful” and “antisemitic”.
Activists decried the ruling as politically motivated.
“The government’s goal was never really about social media moderation”, the collective said in a statement. “This is about silencing our political positions and criminalising support for Palestine.”
The ruling came after a three-year legal battle. In 2022, then-Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin—and now Justice Minister—first ordered the group’s dissolution, accusing it of promoting hatred toward Israel.
The Council of State initially suspended the decision, but last month, it reversed course.
This is not the first time civil liberties have been restricted in France to suppress Palestine solidarity. During Israel’s bombing of Gaza in 2021, the French government banned pro-Palestinian protests, citing public order concerns.
Since October 2023, the suppression has escalated: demonstrations have been blocked, several activists have taken to trial for “glorifying terrorism,” and the right–political mainstream has launched a full-scale defamation campaign against Palestine solidarity groups, recounts Tom Martin, a Pro-Palestine activist in an interview with The New Arab.
“The repression is directly linked to France’s strategic alliance with Israel”, he added.
One of the most striking examples of France’s hardline stance is the continued imprisonment of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah.
The 73-year-old Lebanese communist, accused of complicity in the 1982 killings of American and Israeli diplomats, has been behind bars since 1984—despite being eligible for release since 1999.
Last week, a Paris court postponed its decision on his latest parole bid, citing his refusal to compensate the victims’ families.Â
Pro-Palestine activism and French politics
Meanwhile, young activists have faced increasing repression since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Student encampments protesting the genocide in the strip—at Sciences Po, the Sorbonne, and other universities—have been violently dismantled by police.Â
Instead of engaging with their demands, right-wing and centrist politicians, who control the government, dismissed the protests as a symptom of “Islamo-leftism”—a term long-used by these political camps to smear the left as enablers of radical Islam.
Yet, despite the crackdown, pro-Palestinian activism has reshaped French politics.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights, led the New Popular Front (NFP) to victory in the 2024 legislative elections, campaigning on a platform of Palestinian solidarity, including calls for an arms embargo and economic sanctions against Israel as well as a pledge to recognise Palestinian statehood.
The alliance won over 10 million votes, largely from young people.
Despite the NFP’s electoral success, President Macron has refused to appoint its nominee as prime minister, arguing that a leftist-led government would be unstable and vulnerable to no-confidence votes.
The decision has further fuelled criticism that France’s democratic institutions are being undermined to exclude pro-Palestine voices from power.
As activists, politicians and students face police repression and censorship, it seems that France’s celebrated motto “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” only apply if you are not vocal in supporting Palestine.
However, for Pro-Palestine activists, the repression has only energised the movement.
“Despite censorship, the solidarity movement has never been stronger in France”, Martin told TNA.
“A whole generation is being shaped by the fight against imperialism and genocide in Gaza. No amount of state repression can erase that.”
