French writer goes undercover to expose far-left antisemitism

To go undercover, Bussigny had to learn a new vocabulary to fit in with her new companions.

By Dinah Bucholz, Jewish Breaking News

In a recent interview with an Israeli news outlet, French writer Nora Bussigny describes her experience infiltrating the radical left in her country.

Bussigny is not Jewish and is half Arab—her mother is from Morocco, and her father is French.

The journalist assumed a fake identity to join protests and advocate on behalf of Gaza, while feigning enthusiasm so she could document what she saw.

Bussigny interviewed about 100 people, both academics and laypeople, for the book and visited universities in France and the United States to talk to people on the ground. She said she had not previously known many Jews, and if not for her parents, she could easily have become antisemitic.

What Bussigny learned shocked her. Antisemitism has flourished in France in many forms since medieval times, but lately it has transformed and spread in ways that threaten the future of the Jewish population of the country, the second-largest in the Diaspora.

Her book is titled Les Nouveaux Antisémites (The New Antisemites), and it reveals a potent and virulent form of Jew hatred that has gripped the radical left.

“I saw with my own eyes to what degree Islamists, far-left so-called ‘progressive’ militants, and feminist, LGBT, and ecological activists are closely linked in their shared hatred of Jews and Israel,” Bussigny said, speaking in French.

“It’s ironic because historically, the extreme left was fragmented,” she said.

“Many radical groups never got along, despite dreaming of a convergence of their struggles. Before Oct. 7, I was convinced they could only unify around a common hatred of the police and what it symbolizes for them. But I’ve now seen how their hate for Jews—or rather Zionists, to use their term—is more effective in bringing them together in common cause.”

Bussigny is worried about the consequences of this new hatred and its potential effect on French society, particularly its influence on young voters.

“I worry about what’s happening with Gen Z, those born after 1995, many of whom will be voting for the first time next year in the municipal elections and then in 2027 in the presidential elections,” she said.

“We could have several Mamdanis in France. He’s called the TikTok mayor for a reason. He was elected in large part thanks to Gen Z voters, and he used his anti-Zionism as a motor for his campaign. What does this mean for our upcoming elections?”

She has testified about the dangers to the future of French society before government officials and in the media. She has also held discussions with government ministers and members of parliament to explain the dangerous implications of the results of her investigation.

While the National Assembly conducted a commission of inquiry into the spread and promotion of radical Islamist ideology and its infiltration into government, she had the opportunity to testify before the committee about her work.

To go undercover, Bussigny had to learn a new vocabulary to fit in with her new companions.

She also had to learn how to put on a convincing performance as she chanted alongside people calling for intifada and resistance, chanting against genocide and glorifying terrorism, with crowds who purported to stand for the rights of LGBTQ people, women, and minorities.

“At first, I went too quickly,” said Bussigny.

“Participating in demonstrations, I made mistakes. For example, I’d say ‘Israel,’ which militants never say except as an insult. They usually say ‘the Zionist entity,’ or if writing, they call it ‘Israhell.’ They also never say ‘the IDF,’ but rather ‘the genocidal army.’ There were terms I had to learn to have the ‘right’ vocabulary.”

“Initially, some of the people looked at me with mistrust,” she added, referring to her acting.

“I had to really concentrate on how I spoke and acted when I was among them. They watch you to see if you’re chanting, if you’re happy to be there, and if you’re filming. They’re suspicious. I made sure to look cheerful and excited to chant with everyone the glory of Hamas and Operation Al-Aqsa Flood [Hamas’s code name for the Oct. 7 attack].”

But the acting took an emotional toll.

“I was so careful to play the part that it became almost schizophrenic for me,” she said.

Bussigny noted that the movement, which includes Samidoun (a designated terrorist organization) and anti-Zionist groups Urgence Palestine and Palestine Vaincra, receives public funding to use public spaces to radicalize young people.

Bussigny’s book has made a splash not only in the Jewish community but also among the wider general public. It has made the bestseller lists in France and received a prestigious book award called the Prix Edgar Faure.

“Given how well the book is selling, obviously many non-Jews are reading it, which is important,” Bussigny said. ”I’ve received lots of support.”

“I’m quite touched by the response from French Jews,” she added. “I’ve received so much gratitude. Many say my book has helped them see what’s behind much of the current antisemitism. They’re worried and grateful to better understand everything that’s at stake for them.”

Nevertheless, Bussigny has also suffered intense backlash, particularly as she is seen as a race traitor due to her Arab ancestry. As a result of death threats, the journalist requires a security detail to accompany her to public events.

“Since the book came out, I’ve been the target of death threats, horrible insults, and an enormous amount of hate, especially on social media,” she said.

“Part of this hostility is because I’m Franco-Moroccan, and some people treat me as a traitor to the Palestinian cause and an accomplice of Zionists. Those attacking me denounce me as complicit in ‘genocide,’ and some also make baseless accusations that I’m receiving money from Israel.”

“Many bookstores in France have boycotted my book,” she continued. “Some have even told customers who tried to order it that they don’t want to order this type of book.”

The author also expressed surprise that the Jewish community has urged her to speak out, thinking Jews would prefer other Jews to speak on their behalf.

“They’re happy I’m not Jewish,” she said. “At first, I didn’t understand this. I was a bit embarrassed to be invited to speak about antisemitism because I’m not Jewish and I don’t experience antisemitism. I’d ask them, isn’t it better to give the floor to someone who’s directly affected by it? And they’d say to me, ‘No, on the contrary.’”

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