France’s political class gathered in Paris on 3 July for the 39th annual dinner of the Conseil représentatif des institutions juives de France (CRIF), an event held against a backdrop of elevated security and concern over antisemitic incidents. Prime Minister François Bayrou, flanked by ministers including Bruno Retailleau and Gérald Darmanin, used the podium to pledge the state’s “unfailing vigilance” and denounced what he called “la bête délirante et meurtrière” of antisemitism. Bayrou announced that the justice minister will shortly issue a circular to all prosecutors detailing new methods for identifying and prosecuting antisemitic offences. He also promised additional resources for the national unit that tracks online hate speech and an expanded Pharos reporting platform. Government figures show 504 antisemitic acts were recorded between January and May, a 24 percent decline from a year earlier but still more than double the tally a decade ago. Earlier in the evening, CRIF president Yonathan Arfi accused politicians such as Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Dominique de Villepin of inflaming tensions with their support for Gaza, vowing to make the influence of the hard-left La France insoumise “residual”. Arfi also questioned France’s position on recognising a Palestinian state, arguing it could hand a symbolic victory to terrorist organisations. While reiterating France’s backing for a two-state solution and voicing humanitarian concerns over Gaza, Bayrou said lasting peace requires regional recognition of Israel and firm resistance to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The dinner, a fixture of France’s political calendar, underscored both the government’s commitment to combating antisemitism and the sharpening debate over Middle East policy within the French left.