Palestinian student in France probed over 'hateful' online posts
France's prestigious Sciences Po university in the northern city of Lille canceled the student's accreditation on Wednesday. On Thursday, Lille's chief prosecutor, Carole Etienne, told AFP a probe had been opened against the student for allegedly trying to "justify terrorism" and "justify a crime against humanity." A French diplomatic source said that, given those developments, the student "should now leave (French) national territory as soon as possible."
Screenshots of posts the student allegedly shared in September – published by pro-Israel accounts on X, formerly Twitter – include an image of Adolf Hitler and words appearing to call for the death of Jews. The account attributed to the student has been taken offline, after French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau demanded it be closed down. Retailleau said that "Hamas propagandists" should not be in the country, referring to the Palestinian militant group that rules Gaza.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Wednesday described her as "a Gazan student making anti-Semitic remarks" and pledged an inquiry into how she gained a student visa. The Lille prosecutor's investigation comes against a background of heightened online rhetoric related to Israel's war in Gaza.
France is home to both the biggest Muslim and Jewish communities in the European Union. The Sciences Po university told AFP that the Palestinian student had been welcomed to its campus "at the recommendation of the French consulate in Jerusalem." The French diplomatic source said the student arrived in France on July 11 on a scholarship based on "academic excellence" and after "security checks."
France has helped more than 500 people leave Gaza since the latest war started, included wounded children, journalists, students and artists. French President Emmanuel Macron last week said his country will recognize Palestinian statehood in September, as international alarm grows about the plight of the more than two million Palestinians facing hunger in the Gaza Strip. But Paris has urged a post-war plan for Gaza to exclude Hamas, which the European Union deems to be a "terrorist" group.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
17 minutes ago
- Euronews
France drops 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid in Gaza as crisis worsens
Forty tonnes of humanitarian aid were dropped this Friday to help the residents of Gaza, who are facing severe hunger, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said, calling for the Strip to be "flooded with water, food and medicine". Speaking to French radio Franceinfo, he highlighted the scale of the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave. "There's not a minute left to lose," Barrot said. France's top diplomat acknowledged that this aid was "insufficient" to meet the needs of the population. On Tuesday, Barrot had mentioned "four flights carrying 10 tonnes of food each", implying that four rotations would be carried out. Humanitarian airdrops resumed on Sunday, after the Israeli army announced a pause in the fighting. The first flights airdropping much-needed aid were carried out by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The UK was the first European country to take part, followed by Germany, Belgium and now France, which have all set up an "air route" via Jordan. Reopen all access routes, Barrot says A World Health Organisation report published on Thursday warned of the dramatic famine facing Gaza. Since the beginning of July, 5,000 children under the age of 5 have been admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition. Sixty-three children have died of starvation. Barrot described the situation as "absolutely intolerable". The French foreign minister also denounced the restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry of humanitarian aid. He claimed that "52 tonnes (of aid) have been waiting for months just a few kilometres from the Gaza Strip". "The Israeli government must now reopen all access routes - air, land and sea - to allow unhindered and massive access of humanitarian aid to the civilian populations who need it so badly". At the same time, a rare visit by US envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to take place in the Gaza Strip. He will be inspecting humanitarian aid distribution sites and meeting locals. The purpose of this mission is to "report back to the president (...) to approve a final plan for the distribution of aid", according to the White House spokeswoman.
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
Wadephul says Berlin should prevent Israel's international isolation
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul visited the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Friday, where he is expected to hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. The meeting is expected to address attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians and the plans being discussed in Israel to annex the territory. The Israeli Knesset recently signalled its support for a possible annexation in a resolution, a move that has met with sharp international criticism. The German government is also firmly opposed to such a measure. Wadephul arrived in Israel on Thursday, where he met with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In Jerusalem, Wadephul said Israel was in danger of becoming internationally isolated. "I see it as Germany's duty to do everything it can to prevent this," he said. He referred to Germany's "never-ending historical obligation" for Israel's security. Both sides must take action, the foreign minister said. "My mission here today was to tell the Israeli side that they must act now and not just at some point." He added: "We need clarity - also from Israel - that no policy of expulsion and no policy of active annexation is being pursued." What is needed is for the remaining hostages to be released from Gaza, where they are being held captive by the militant group Hamas. "It is time to end this war," Wadephul said in a call directed "first and foremost to the Hamas terrorist organisation." German aid for Gaza Amid the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Wadephul pledged additional aid during a meeting with representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Jerusalem. He announced that Germany would provide the World Food Programme (WFP) with a further €5 million. With these funds, the WFP should be able to provide food and put bakeries and soup kitchens back into operation in order to distribute bread and hot meals. As Wadephul explained, the daily ceasefires established by Israel in parts of the Gaza Strip will be used to distribute relief supplies via the UN. The German government is also supporting the construction of a Maltese field hospital in Gaza City to provide urgently needed basic medical care. Meanwhile, CSU Secretary-General Martin Huber has categorically ruled out sanctions against Israel by the German government. In an interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, Huber said that criticising the Israeli government is legitimate, "but sanctions between friends are out of the question." Huber also rejects measures such as entry bans, such as those imposed by the Netherlands on the far-right Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. Berlin also hasn't joined major allies France, Britain, and Canada in saying it will recognise a Palestinian state in September. But in a statement ahead of his departure Thursday, Wadephul underlined Germany's position that a two-state solution is 'the only way' to ensure a future in peace and security for people on both sides. "For Germany, the recognition of a Palestinian state stands rather at the end of the process. But such a process must begin now. Germany will not move from this aim," Wadephul said. US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff also arrived in Israel on Thursday to discuss the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza. Witkoff and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee will inspect food distribution in Gaza on Friday, the White House said.
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
France suspends Gaza evacuations over antisemitic posts by student
French authorities have suspended all evacuations from Gaza on Friday following revelations that a Palestinian student granted entry to France is under investigation for antisemitic content posted on her social media. A criminal inquiry has been launched in Lille against 25-year-old Nour A, a Gaza native who arrived in the country in early July and was set to begin a master's degree at Sciences Po in the northern French city this fall. The decision to halt all further evacuations was announced on Friday by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. 'No evacuation of any kind will take place' until the investigation into the student's background is concluded, Barrot told France Info radio. He also confirmed that 'discussions (were) under way' regarding her potential return to Gaza. 'She has no place at Sciences Po, nor in France," Barrot added. The controversy erupted after screenshots circulated online allegedly linking Nour A to a now-deleted X account containing extreme content. The posts allegedly included calls for the extermination of Jewish people and videos praising World War II Nazi German leader Adolf Hitler. Barrot acknowledged failures in the screening process that allowed her entry. 'The security checks, carried out by the French services and Israeli authorities, did not detect the antisemitic content,' he said. In response, he ordered a renewed review of all individuals who had been evacuated to France from Gaza. On Thursday, the public prosecutor in Lille confirmed the opening of an investigation for 'apology of terrorism, apology of crimes against humanity using an online public communication service.'
