PARIS: A Gaza student studying in France on a government scholarship departed for Qatar after authorities discovered anti-Semitic remarks on her social media accounts.
The French foreign ministry confirmed the expulsion, citing the “unacceptable nature” of the posts.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated that Nour Attaalah, the student in question, could not remain in France due to the severity of her comments.
“Given their seriousness, Ms. Attaalah could not remain on French territory. She left France today to go to Qatar to continue her studies there,“ the ministry said.
Attaalah’s lawyer, Ossama Dahmane, clarified that she chose to leave “in a spirit of appeasement and to guarantee her security,“ though she denies the allegations.
The student had been set to attend Sciences Po Lille this fall under a programme for Gazan students.
Her arrival in France on July 11 preceded the discovery of now-deleted social media posts allegedly advocating violence against Jews.
A judicial probe was launched into possible terrorism condonement, alongside an inquiry into why the posts were not flagged earlier.
Sciences Po Lille confirmed the authenticity of the posts but provided no further details.
Dahmane argued the accusations relied on “shared tweets, taken out of context.”
Barrot announced a freeze on all Gaza student evacuation programmes pending the investigation’s outcome.
The foreign ministry declined to specify how many students are affected, citing privacy concerns.
France has admitted hundreds of Gazan students since the Israel-Hamas conflict began. – AFP
