Antisemitism in France is the expression through words or actions of an ideology of hatred of Jews on French soil. Jews were present in Roman Gaul , but information is limited before the fourth century. As the Roman Empire became Christianized , restrictions on Jews began and many emigrated, some to Gaul. In the Middle Ages , France was a center of Jewish learning, but over time, persecution increased, including multiple expulsions and returns.
During the French Revolution in the late 18th century, on the other hand, France was the first country in Europe to emancipate its Jewish population. Antisemitism still occurred in cycles, reaching a high level in the s, as demonstrated during the most known instance, the Dreyfus Affair , and in the s, under German occupation and the Vichy regime. During World War II , the Vichy government collaborated with Nazi occupiers to deport a large number of both French Jews and foreign Jewish refugees to concentration camps.
France today has the third largest Jewish population in the world, behind those of Israel and the United States. However, since , there has been a significant increase in assaults on Jewish people and property, giving rise to a debate about " new antisemitism ", with many Jews no longer feeling safe in France. Since or so, more French Jews have been moving to Israel in response to rising antisemitism in France.
The beginning of Jewish presence in Roman Gaul is uncertain. Jews spread out after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, and more after the Bar Kokhba revolt and the destruction of Jerusalem. Most went towards Rome, where they were offered protection by Julius Caesar , and later by Augustus; and then towards the edges of the Empire. Gaul was an exile destination for banished Roman politicians, and as some Judeans were forced out of their land, likely some of them ended up there as well.
However, it is not until the fourth century that there is reliable documentation of the presence of Jews in Gaul. Not all were from Palestine, some were converted by Jews in the diaspora.
