Paris faces backlash after naming pro-Palestine activist to antisemitism post

The appointment of pro-Palestinian activist Anna Bikululu as deputy mayor of Paris in charge of combating antisemitism has triggered a political scandal, according to a report by Le Journal du Dimanche.

The decision by the newly elected mayor has been met with strong criticism from Jewish organisations and opposition politicians. The backlash centres on Bikululu’s previous public statements, in which she sharply criticised Israel, accusing it of “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing.”

Critics also highlight that following the Hamas attack on October 7, she did not issue statements expressing support for Israeli victims or hostages.

Further controversy has arisen over her social media activity. Opponents claim she shared content supporting pro-Palestinian activists and reposted material from accounts associated with radical anti-Israel rhetoric.

The appointment has also drawn renewed scrutiny of her political connections to La France Insoumise, a party that critics in France have repeatedly accused of failing to take a sufficiently strong position against antisemitism.

Supporters of Bikululu reject the accusations, arguing that the criticism is politically driven and tied to her pro-Palestinian stance and human rights work.

By Tamilla Hasanova