Watchdog tracks over 1,300 posts blaming Jews, Israel for France riots

A wave of unrest that erupted across France over the weekend was accompanied by antisemitic incitement and conspiracy theories on X/Twitter, accusing Israel, Mossad, and Jews of responsibility for the violence and destruction in the streets, according to a report published Sunday by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM).

The study, conducted by CAM's Antisemitism Research Center (ARC), examined activity on X between October 16 and 18 and identified 1,384 posts linking the riots to Jews or Israel. According to the organization, the posts included conspiracy theories alongside calls for physical violence, expulsion, and extermination.

According to the findings, influential social media accounts spread claims that "Mossad is burning France right now" and described the unrest as a "civil war orchestrated by Jewish elites."

Other accounts linked French President Emmanuel Macron to the Rothschild family, while far-right activists with hundreds of thousands of followers circulated the message: "The Jews did this to France. Don't let them do it to America."

CAM said this was the fourth time in less than three months that its research center had identified a similar pattern of antisemitic conspiracy theories spreading in response to major news events. The report cited the migrant crisis in Ceuta, the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and an attempted hijacking of a plane bound for Ben-Gurion Airport.

The study also found that accounts subscribed to X Premium, identified by blue verification checkmarks, were among those spreading some of the most extreme messages.

According to CAM, the content received millions of views, with the organization arguing that the platform's amplification mechanisms helped spread the messages.

CAM CEO Sacha Roytman warned of the connection between online incitement and violence in public spaces.

"Once again, we are witnessing the same distorted pattern in which hatred of Jews and Israel becomes the automatic explanation for every national crisis," Roytman said. "Worse still, social media platforms are incentivizing those who spread hatred instead of stopping them."

Roytman called on French authorities and social media companies to take action against violence and incitement.

"French law enforcement authorities must take firm action against the rioters, and platform executives must put an end to this lawlessness before lives are lost," he said.

The Combat Antisemitism Movement is an international, nonpartisan coalition dedicated to combating antisemitism and protecting Jewish communities. Its work includes researching and monitoring antisemitic content online, conducting public awareness campaigns, and promoting policy initiatives with governments and international institutions.