Perspectives on anti-Semitic prejudice and the Ilan Halimi affair
Twenty years after the murder of Ilan Halimi, this survey carried out in February 2026 by Ifop for the Union des Étudiants Juifs de France (Union of Jewish Students of France) provides an up-to-date assessment of representations and prejudices towards Jews in France, as well as the place that the Halimi affair now occupies in the collective memory.
Declared anti-Semitism remains in the minority, prejudice on the decline
As in 2016, the expression of outright hostility to Jews remains very much in the minority in French society. In 2026, 8% of French people said they felt antipathy towards Jews, a level stable compared to 2016 (9%). Conversely, 41% express sympathy, a slight increase (+3 points) in ten years, while the majority (51%) are neutral. Compared to the other groups tested, Jews are among the categories attracting the least declared antipathy.
The trend observed since 2016 is marked by a decline in several representations associated with anti-Semitism. The idea that “Jews use their status as victims of the Nazi genocide for their own benefit” has fallen sharply, from 32% support in 2016 to 22% today, as has the belief that “Jews are richer than the average French person” (26% vs. 31% in 2016). The conspiracy theory holding them responsible for the economic crisis remains very marginal (5%).
The synthetic indicator confirms this trend, showing a reversal: in 2026, a majority (52%) of French people subscribe to none of the anti-Semitic assertions tested (versus 48% in 2016), while the share of those who subscribe to at least one assertion becomes a minority (48%, versus 52% in 2016). As in 2016, adherence to stereotypes remains socially differentiated: it remains higher among men and people with few or no qualifications. Political logics are proving less structuring than in the past: while 43% of Front National supporters agreed with three or more anti-Semitic statements in 2016 (versus 24% of the French population as a whole), the figure is now 19%, a level now identical to that of the population as a whole.
Perception of the Shoah is another key indicator. In 2026, 79% of French people consider the extermination of the Jews “a monstrous crime”, up on 2016 (74%) and 2014 (63%). However, this support is not homogeneous: among the under-35s, the proportion falls to 72%. More worryingly, 9% of the under-35s consider the Shoah to be “an invention”, a sign of memory fragility among part of the younger generation, in a context of increased circulation of conspiracy or Holocaust denial narratives.
Zionism: a lack of understanding and ambivalent representations
Perceptions of Zionism reveal a high level of indecision: some 44% of French people say they are unable to decide on each of the statements tested. 41% identified Zionism as an ideology claiming the right of Jews to a state, but 35% saw it as a means of justifying Israeli policy in the Palestinian territories, and 27% described it as a racist ideology. Explicitly conspiracy-oriented representations (“international organization aiming to influence the world for the benefit of the Jews”) also garnered 22% support, down very slightly on 2016 (-2 points), but find particular resonance in certain segments of opinion, notably Jean-Luc Mélenchon voters in the 2022 presidential election (39%). These results reflect both a strong ignorance of the term and a polarization of the debate, in a context marked by the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023 and the war in Gaza.
Nevertheless, a large majority of French people continue to believe that the existence of the State of Israel is justified (72%), despite a slight drop since 2016 (-2 points). However, this opinion is very divided along generational lines: only 53% of 18-24 year-olds hold this opinion, compared with 82% of those aged 65 and over.
Post-October 7: a heightened sense of insecurity surrounding the Jewish condition in France
Ten years after 2016, public opinion appears more alarmist about the situation of French Jews in the public arena: the belief that French Jews “are no longer really safe in France” is now in the majority (53%), and has risen sharply (+13 points). moreover, 42% of French people feel that they are in greater danger than other French people, whereas only 19% shared this opinion a year after the 2015 attacks. Lastly, fewer French people than in 2016 say it’s better for French Jews to stay in their country, (45% vs. 57% in 2016), while the preference for a move to Israel remains stable (9%).
The Ilan Halimi affair: still a vivid memory, twenty years on
In 2016, ten years after the events, 64% of French people said they had heard of the affair, 44% of whom had precise knowledge of it. Twenty years on, awareness is eroding, but remains in the majority: 56% say they have heard of it, and 31% know exactly what it’s all about. This erosion is largely due to a clear generational effect: only a third (32%) of the under-35s know about the affair, compared with two-thirds of the over-65s (64%), a sign, unsurprisingly, of a much more vivid memory among the generations who lived through the event at the time. In response to an open question asking French people who had heard of the affair what representations were associated with it, 36% identified Ilan Halimi as a young Jewish man, while only 19% explicitly mentioned an anti-Semitic crime.
Beyond mere notoriety, the case retains a strong symbolic charge. As in 2016 – when 69% of French people saw Ilan Halimi’s murder as “a symbol of what prejudice against Jews can lead to” – in 2026 it continues to be perceived as the embodiment of murderous anti-Semitism, rooted in social representations (63%). The emotion aroused remains high: in 2016, 61% of French people said they had been personally affected by the affair. Twenty years on, the memory remains associated with a strong emotional dimension (47%).
In addition, the perception of the risk of a comparable case being repeated is a particularly sensitive indicator. In a context marked by the rise in anti-Semitic acts following the terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7, three-quarters of French people (76%) consider that a similar tragedy could happen again in France. This concern extends beyond the segments most aware of the issue, and reflects a widespread awareness of the vulnerability of Jews in France.
In conclusion, the 2026 survey paints a contrasting picture. On the one hand, classic indicators of adherence to anti-Semitic prejudice are declining overall, and recognition of the Holocaust as a monstrous crime is increasing. On the other, pockets of stereotyping persist, ignorance of Zionism remains high, and certain generational fragilities are emerging. Against this backdrop, the Ilan Halimi affair retains a singular symbolic force. Twenty years on, it has neither been forgotten nor trivialized: it continues to embody in the minds of the French the possible passage from prejudice to violence, and remains a major moral and memorial landmark in the understanding of anti-Semitism in France.
