Crif - Major Conference against Antisemitism launched by French Minister Aurore Bergé

Photo credit:  ©STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP

This conference is a government initiative launched by Minister Aurore Bergé in response to the rise in antisemitism following October 7th. Launched last May, then interrupted after the dissolution of the National Assembly (French Parliament), it was relaunched on February 13th, on a symbolic date marking the anniversary of Ilan Halimi's death. Crif President Yonathan Arfi and numerous representatives of public authorities, Jewish organizations and organizations for the fight against antisemitism  were present.

In the Maison de la Radio studios, in Paris, Aurore Bergé opened the event with a straightforward speech. “The Republic is not settling down to only call for calm. Because to call for calm in the face of antisemitism is already to abdicate. When it comes to antisemitism, there is no 'yes but', there is no acceptable compromise, there is no possible ambiguity [...] Antisemitism cannot be discussed or debated: it must be fought,” she stated.

At the event, priority was given to the topic of education, the rise of antisemitism in schools and higher education today representing a real cause for concern. French Minister of Education Élisabeth Borne thus revealed that 477 reports of antisemitic acts had already been recorded by the French education system in the first quarter of the 2024-2025 school year, compared with a total of 1,670 for the 2023-2024 year.

The floor was then given at length to young people who have witnessed orbeen victims of antisemitic acts: high school students representing the Union des Lycéens Juifs de France (ULJF), students representing the Union des Étudiants Juifs de France (UEJF) and students from Sciences Po came to talk about the stifling climate that prevents them from pursuing their studies or schooling under acceptable conditions, or about the attacks they have suffered or witnessed, online or in real life.

These speeches were an opportunity for young people to put forward concrete proposals to the public authorities facing them, particularly in terms of the appointment and training of referents responsible for dealing with these issues in schools.

The event came to an end with a round-table discussion, during which a number of perspectives were mentioned. Muriel Ouaknine, President of the European Jewish Organization (OJE), spoke as a lawyer about the need to move the fight against antisemitism out of press law to incorporate it into criminal law.

Khaled Bouabdallah, Deputy Rector of the Occitanie regional Academy, spoke about possible solutions in higher education.

Finally, historian Marie-Anne Matard-Bonucci, professor of contemporary history at Paris 8 University, gave a historical perspective on antisemitism. She will be in charge of steering the work of the two working groups that will meet in the coming weeks - one on legal issues, the other on educational issues.