‘Mossad is burning France’: Antisemitic conspiracy theories explode amid nationwide riots October 19, 2026 A car burns at Republique square during a protest against rising living costs, joining students' grievances, in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)(AP Photo/Thibault Camus)‘Mossad is burning France’: Antisemitic conspiracy theories explode amid nationwide riots Violent unrest across France has unleashed a wave of antisemitic incitement, with Jews, Israel, and the Mossad falsely blamed for orchestrating the chaos. A new investigation by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) exposed conspiracy theories spreading across X, including explicit calls for violence, expulsion, and even extermination of Jews. Researchers identified 1,384 posts between October 16 and 18, including accusations that “Mossad is burning France right now” and that the unrest was a “civil war orchestrated by Jewish elites.” Influential far-right accounts amplified the message: “The Jews did this to France. Don’t let them do it to America.” According to CAM, verified accounts helped spread the hateful content to millions of viewers, marking the fourth major wave of similar antisemitic conspiracy theories identified in less than three months. “Hatred of Jews and Israel becomes the automatic explanation for every national crisis,” CAM CEO Sacha Roytman warned, urging French authorities and social media platforms to act before online incitement translates into further violence. AntisemitismConspiracy theoriesFranceIsraelJewsMossadParis
