CRIF chief says Bardella’s past antisemitic texts undermine RN’s rebranding effort

Yonathan Arfi, who heads the French Jewish institution CRIF, reacted to Mediapart’s publication of alleged 2013 antisemitic writings by Jordan Bardella. Arfi said the excerpts, which portray Jews as conspiratorial financiers and advocate domination over other peoples, are not youthful clumsiness but a clear echo of Alain Soral’s extremist conspiracy theory. He warned that these texts deliver a “stinging rebuke” to the National Rally’s ongoing effort to rebrand itself away from extremist origins.

Arfi questioned the party’s ability to identify and expel antisemitic sentiment when a young member with such views can ascend its ranks. He emphasized that calling out antisemitism does not absolve a movement from other hateful ideologies, underscoring the need for broader accountability.