Shocking investigation reveals systemic antisemitism at France's 'Le Monde'

Testimonies from within the newsroom reveal that the French Jewish community was explicitly referred to as a “hostile community” during editorial meetings.

By JUDE TARAGIN DECEMBER 18, 2024 16:09 Updated: DECEMBER 18, 2024 16:11

‘All the security is not a normal life,’ Rabbi Moshe Sebbag told The Jerusalem Post as French Jews face an uncertain future. (photo credit: ALAIN AZRIA)

An explosive investigation by Le Figaro into allegations about the editorial culture at one of France's most respected newspapers, Le Monde, was published on Monday.  

Itai Cellier, a French media and politics expert and creator of the YouTube channel The Frenchman, described the exposé as "a smoking gun."

According to Cellier, the investigation uncovered deeply concerning details about Le Monde’s editorial practices. Testimonies from within the newsroom reveal that the French Jewish community was explicitly referred to as a “hostile community” during editorial meetings. Cellier further highlighted an incident where a journalist mocked a Jewish colleague, sneering, “So, how’s your aliyah project coming along?”

The investigation also exposed glaring examples of biased reporting. A special issue commemorating one year since the October 7 attacks focused exclusively on “Gaza’s suffering,” completely ignoring the massacres and kidnappings that occurred. The following day, another article dismissed Israeli trauma as mere “whining,” further solidifying claims of anti-Israel bias in the paper’s coverage.

At the center of the controversy is Benjamin Barthe, the author of Ramallah Dream. Barthe is married to Muzna Shehabi, a pro-Palestinian activist and former negotiator for the Palestinian Authority. According to Cellier, Shehabi once wrote, following the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, “May God have mercy on him and all the martyrs, and may He destroy the Zionist entity.” This connection, Cellier suggests, exemplifies the ideological leanings influencing the paper’s editorial decisions.

Cellier argues that cancel culture has become a powerful suppression tool within Le Monde. He claims that young “woke” activists have taken over the newsroom, creating a climate of fear that prevents internal dissent. Journalists interviewed for the investigation requested anonymity but provided photographic evidence of propaganda plastered on the newsroom walls, mirroring messaging from the far-left, antisemitic political party La France Insoumise.

The front page of daily newspaper Le Monde, with the headline, ''United Kingdom Leaves Europe'' is seen at their printing works following Britain's referendum results to leave the European Union, in Tremblay-en-France, near Paris, France, June 24, 2016. (credit: REUTERS/CHRISTIAN HARTMANN)

The investigation also sheds light on the strained relationship between Le Monde and its readership. Following significant subscriber losses after the October 7 anniversary issue, the newspaper’s reader relations manager was asked why the paper continues to lean left. His response: “The newspaper hasn’t shifted leftward; it’s the French public that has become more right-wing.”

Le Monde has 'lost its right to be considered France's leading newspaper'

Dominique Reynié, head of the Fondapol Research Institute, delivered a sharp critique of the paper’s direction. “Le Monde has lost its right to be considered France’s leading newspaper,” she said. “It is now a media outlet with an ideological agenda, silencing dissenting voices under the guise of moral superiority.”

Cellier notes that while Le Monde has historically been seen as a pillar of French journalism, its current trajectory has sparked a broader conversation about media integrity. For the French Jewish community, however, this investigation confirms longstanding concerns about the normalization of antisemitism within influential institutions.