Palestinian student's antisemitic posts halt evacuation plans by France in Gaza
A French investigation was launched into Nour Atallah, a 25-year-old Palestinian student from Gaza, after antisemitic social media posts attributed to her surfaced.
Nour A, a Gaza native, arrived in France in early July and was set to begin a master's degree at Sciences Po Lille, a prestigious political science institution. The controversy erupted after screenshots of her social media accounts from the last two years circulated online, allegedly linking her to a now-deleted X account containing extreme content.
The investigation, confirmed by the public prosecutor in Lille, focuses on charges including apology for terrorism and crimes against humanity communicated online. The posts allegedly included calls for the extermination of Jewish people and praise for Adolf Hitler, such as a now-deleted image of Hitler with the caption "kill the Jews everywhere" and other extreme content.
In response, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot publicly condemned the posts as unacceptable and emphasized that no further evacuations of Gazan students to France would proceed until the investigation concluded. He also acknowledged failures in the screening process that had allowed Nour A's entry.
The implications are significant: the incident has triggered a halt to France’s Gaza evacuation program for students, potentially affecting several hundred individuals who had been allowed entry amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. It has also raised questions about the adequacy of security and ideological screening for visa applicants from conflict zones.
The French government's response reflects a zero-tolerance stance on antisemitism, especially given the sensitive historical and political contexts. The controversy has spotlighted the challenges democratic states face balancing humanitarian aid, academic exchange, and security vigilance amidst ongoing international conflicts.
Discussions regarding Nour A's potential return to Gaza are under way. French authorities have suspended all evacuations from Gaza on Friday, and a renewed review of all individuals who had been evacuated to France from Gaza has been ordered. Nour A has no place at Sciences Po, nor in France, according to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
Nour A's improper social media posts, discussing antisemitic content and praising figures associated with crimes against humanity, have led to a halt in France's education-and-self-development program for Gazan students, and sparked a renewed debate on general-news platforms about the adequacy of security and ideological screening in politically complex situations. The crime-and-justice investigation into Nour A's actions could have far-reaching implications for future applicants seeking visa entry from conflict zones.
