Procession arrives at Place des Terreaux with a banner reading, “Against Antisemitism, for the Republic,” during the march against antisemitism, in Lyon, France, June 25, 2024. Photo: Romain Costaseca / Hans Lucas via Reuters Connect

French and Italian lawmakers are due to vote on new laws defining antisemitism, proposed in the wake of a surge in anti-Jewish incidents but which critics say could be used to censor criticism of Israel.

The French law, which is scheduled to be debated on Thursday, proposes to sanction “implicitly” justifying terrorism, calling for the destruction of a state recognized by France, and comparisons of Israel to the Nazis.

The Italian bill, if adopted, would make Italy the first country to write into law the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which lists certain criticisms of Israel as examples of antisemitism.

DEFINING ANTISEMITISM IN LAW

Proponents of the laws point to the historic rise in antisemitism after Israel began its military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Critics – including some rights groups, academics, and left-wing politicians – say that they will censor legitimate activism for Palestinian rights and contribute to conflating Jews with the state of Israel.

“The [IHRA] definition confuses what is permitted speech – and that is criticism of Israel as a state – with what is prohibited speech, which is antisemitism and racial and religious incitement to violence,” UN special rapporteur on free speech Irene Khan said.

The French law, ​which references the IHRA definition without fully adopting it, contained vague language, she added.

The Italian bill was approved by a large majority in the Upper House last month and is expected to ​begin its passage through the Lower House on Thursday. The French law has lost some political backing following a petition on the French parliamentary website signed by more than 700,000 people.

SHARP RISE IN INCIDENTS SINCE OCT. 7 MASSACRE

In Italy over two years from 2023, antisemitism rose by 100 percent to a record 963 incidents in 2025, according to the Italian Antisemitism Observatory. By comparison, there were 877 recorded incidents in 2024, preceded by 453 such outrages in 2023 and just 241 in 2022.

In France, antisemitism remained at alarmingly high levels last year, with 1,320 incidents recorded nationwide, according to the French Interior Ministry. Although the total number of antisemitic outrages in 2025 fell by 16 percent compared to 2024’s second highest ever total of 1,570 cases and 2023’s record high of 1,676 incidents, the ministry warned that antisemitism remained “historically high.” There were 436 antisemitic acts recorded in 2022, before the Oct. 7 atrocities.

France’s human rights commission, the CNCDH, ​has said that antisemitic acts in France regularly peak in relation to operations carried out by the Israeli army.

The commission, which was not consulted for the law, wrote to MPs and the prime ‌minister in ⁠January to warn of the dangers of conflating “the hatred of Jews and the hatred of the state of Israel.”

Responding to this warning, Caroline Yadan, the French MP proposing the law, said that her text aimed to tackle “new forms of antisemitism” and that the “essentialization that Jews equal Israel exists in today’s society.”

The Israel-Hamas war has led to a wave of anti-Israel, pro-Hamas demonstrations around the world, which Israel and its supporters say are antisemitic.

Protesters say their criticism of Israel and its actions in Gaza should not be conflated with ​antisemitism.

Livia Ottolenghi, representative of the Union of ​Jewish Communities in Italy, said the new ⁠law was necessary and did not prevent criticism of Israel.

“In Italy, we do not live well,” she said. “Our children have bars on their school windows; when they go out, they must be escorted.”

IHRA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM

The IHRA working definition of antisemitism has been adopted by 45 countries as ​a guide but has not previously been written into law anywhere.

IHRA — an intergovernmental organization comprising dozens of countries — adopted the “working definition” of antisemitism in 2016. Since then, the definition has been widely accepted by Jewish groups and lawmakers across the political spectrum, and it is now used by hundreds of governing institutions, including the US State Department, European Union, and United Nations. Law enforcement also uses it as a tool for matters such as hate-crime investigations and sentencing.

According to the definition, antisemitism “is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

It provides 11 specific, contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere. Beyond classic antisemitic behavior associated with the likes of the medieval period and Nazi Germany, the examples include denial of the Holocaust and newer forms of antisemitism targeting Israel such as demonizing the Jewish state, denying its right to exist, and holding it to standards not expected of any other democratic state.

The Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Michael O’Flaherty said he viewed ​the IHRA definition as a ⁠useful tool but was concerned about its application, especially in Germany.

“To somehow attribute responsibility for the actions of a government to the Jewish community in Europe is totally unacceptable, and indeed, it does raise the specter of antisemitism,” he said. “But to somehow conflate any criticism of Israel with antisemitism is ridiculous.”

Sarya Kabbani, a French-Syrian woman, was put on trial under existing laws ⁠on antisemitism over ​carrying banners that drew parallels between Israeli politicians and Nazi Germany at a protest in Paris in December 2023. ​The 67-year-old, whose husband is Jewish, was later acquitted by a court.

“It is freedom of expression to be able to say that Israel is committing war crimes, is committing genocide, is carrying out ethnic cleansing, is occupying,” said the ​activist, who will join demonstrations against the French law this week.