Ersilia Soudais

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shirk responsibility for the use of violence and force [1]

According to Le Figaro , her controversial declarations have often led to her being labelled as antisemitic by her critics. [12] She was described by that same publication as a deputy used to controversies [13] She is also the target of sometimes violent ridicule of her words, her legislative propositions, and even her appearance. [11] According to Le Journal, 'the young LFI activist is characterised more by her summary provocations than by her knowledge of issues'.

Support of Palestine

She began to be interested in the Palestinian cause during the legislative election campaign in 2022, after a film screening and debate dedicated to Salah Hamouri: I was extremely moved and threw myself into the topic wholeheartedly. [2] According to Franc-Tireur , [she] is above all exemplified by one obsessive cause : antizionism . Thus, she supports a communist resolution project which intends to apply the term 'apartheid' to Israël, in the name of the 'two state solution'. She also commemorated '75 years of nakba' ('catastrophe' in Arabic), a term describing the exile of 700, 000 Palestinians driven from their lands by the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Alongside anti-zionist groups, she supports the movement Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) which fights for economic and political blockades against Israel. [1]

Known for her pro-Palestine positions, [2] [14] Soudais was behind, in November 2023, the invitation of a Palestinian activist, Maryam Abu Daqqa, to the National Assembly. Abu Daqqa is one of the leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (FPLP) - an organisation designated as a terrorist group by the European Union. [15] This invitation was rejected by the president, Yaël Braun-Pivet. [16] Afterwards, video material in which Ersilia Soudais remarked on this invitation attracted criticism. [17] She claimed that she was 'harassed when a photo of Kfir Bibas, an Israeli infant kidnapped on 7 October 2023, was posted on the door of her office at the National Assembly. [18]

Ersilia Soudais was on of the LFI deputies accused of antisemitism and of not having condemned the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, refusing to classify it as 'an antisemitic terrorist attack'. [19] She has always denied any claims of antisemitism in her speeches and maintains her critiques of zionism and her opposition to the State of Israel. [19]

In early February 2025, Frédéric Falcon, an RN deputy, referred to her as 'a notorious anti-semite' during a session at the National Assembly. Ersilia Soudais asked for him to be sanctioned for these remarks, which Falcon accepted. [20] These remarks were the object of a reminder of the rules by the president of the session, who referred the matter to the Office of the National Assembly. [20]

Accusation against her head of communications of cyberbullying

In August 2024, she posted a video on TikTok, which was intended to be humorous, about the behaviour of her head of communications, Mathieu Garnier, portraying him as a 'harasser of journalists'. [21] [22] In response, the journalist and editor in chief at Décideurs Magazine, Lucas Jakubowicz, accused Mathieu Garnier of harassment and shared critical messages sent to him by Garnier, accusing him of 'making fun' of his family, who were victims of the Holocaust, for having described Jakubowicz as supporting Marine Le Pen and for the following statement: 'The guy, he talks about his family that was decimated by the Nazis during the Second World War... just before calling to march with them'; [23] Ersilia Soudais has not responded to these accusations. [23]

Support of Elias d’Imzalène

On 8 September 2024, the political activist Elias d’Imzalène under an fiche S (S file) by the renseignements généraux (French intelligence services) was taken into custody as part of an investigation initiated by a report from the ex-minister of the interior Gérald Darmanin. The report accused him of inciting hatred, after he asked his audience at a protest if they were 'ready to carry out Intifada in Paris' in order to 'liberate Jerusalem'. [24] [25] [26] On 25 September 2024, Ersilia Soudais said she wanted to visit, as an elected official, the police station where he was being held in custody to support him, lamenting that it was not the supporters of the 'genocide perpetrated by Israel' who were in custody instead. [27] [28]

At trial, Elias d'Imzalène, who denies any claim of antisemitism,[ relevant? ] was sentenced in December 2024 to a suspended sentence with the payment of damages for 'public incitation of hatred relating to ethnicity, race, origin, nationality or religion'. [29] [30] [31]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Perla Msika (2023-06-28). "Ersilia Soudais : recalée à l'oral". Franc-Tireur . Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  2. 1 2 3 Charlotte Belaïch (2024-01-03). "Le portrait : Ersilia Soudais, la voix de la discorde" . Libération (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  3. Julia Gualtieri (2022-03-09). "Lagny. Des noms de rue féminisés pour la journée des droits des femmes". actu.fr . Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  4. Métivier, Alexandre (2019-03-12). "Lagny-sur-Marne : les locataires de Rothschild face au bailleur Habitat 77". Le Parisien . Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  5. Timothée Talbi (2022-06-20). "Législatives en Seine-et-Marne : au bout du suspens, Ersilia Soudais est élue députée". Le Parisien . Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  6. "Législatives : Ersilia Soudais derrière le RN en Seine-et-Marne". Marianne. 2024-06-30. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  7. "La députée LFI Ersilia Soudais a porté plainte pour viol contre son compagnon placé en garde à vue selon Le Parisien" . Libération . 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  8. "Damien Cassé, visé par une plainte pour viol déposée par Ersilia Soudais, exclu de LFI "à titre conservatoire"". Le HuffPost . 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  9. "Ersilia Soudais, députée La France insoumise, porte plainte pour viol contre son conjoint, placé en garde à vue" . Le Monde . 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  10. "La plainte pour viol de la députée LFI Ersilia Soudais contre son ex-conjoint classée sans suite" . Libération. 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  11. 1 2 3 "Seine-et-Marne : la députée de La France Insoumise Ersilia Soudais porte plainte pour menaces de mort". actu.fr (in French). 2025-04-01.
  12. Wally Bordas (2023-12-05). ""Elle est de tous les pires combats" : Ersilia Soudais, l'Insoumise par qui la polémique arrive". Le Figaro . Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  13. ""Harceleur de journaliste" : la députée insoumise Ersilia Soudais (LFI) conspuée pour une nouvelle vidéo". Le Figaro (in French). 2024-08-21. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  14. Margaux Duguet; Clément Parrot (2023-10-09). "Attaque du Hamas en Israël : les socialistes vont suspendre "temporairement" leurs relations avec les élus LFI au conseil régional d'Île-de-France". Franceinfo . Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  15. "L_2009151EN.01004501.xml". eur-lex.europa.eu. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
  16. "Une militante palestinienne membre d'une organisation classée terroriste interdite de se rendre à l'Assemblée nationale". Le Figaro . 2023-10-09. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  17. "Guerre Hamas-Israël : la députée LFI Ersilia Soudais fortement critiquée pour ses ricanements sur l'attaque du 7 octobre". Le Figaro (in French). 2023-11-23. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
  18. "Les «visages de l'innocence et de l'amour» face à la «barbarie du Hamas» : Macron réagit à la mort annoncée des Bibas à Gaza". Le Figaro (in French). 2025-02-18. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
  19. 1 2 Belaïch, Charlotte. "Ersilia Soudais, la voix de la discorde". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2025-02-15.
  20. 1 2 "«Vous êtes une antisémite notoire» : le bureau de l'Assemblée nationale saisi après les propos d'un député RN contre sa collègue de LFI Ersilia Soudais". Le Figaro (in French). 2025-02-07. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
  21. "Une députée LFI ironise sur son collaborateur "harceleur de journalistes"". 20minutes.fr (in French). 2024-08-22. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  22. "Ersilia Soudais, influenceuse en cyberharcèlement". Atlantico (in French). 2024-08-23. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  23. 1 2 "Un journaliste accuse le collaborateur de la députée LFI Ersilia Soudais de harcèlement". Le Point (in French). 2024-08-21. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  24. "Elias d'Imzalène, influenceur fiché S, visé par un signalement pour avoir appelé à « mener l'intifada à Paris »". Le Parisien (in French). 2024-09-10. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  25. AFP (2024-09-24). "Appel à « mener l'intifada à Paris » : le militant Elias d'Imzalène en garde à vue". Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  26. "«Prêts à mener l'intifada dans Paris  : enquête ouverte après le violent appel d'Elias d'Imzalène lors d'une manifestation propalestinienne". Le Figaro (in French). 2024-09-10. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  27. Marianne (2024-09-25). "Appel à « l'intifada dans Paris » : la députée LFI Ersilia Soudais à la remorque du fiché S Elias d'Imzalène". www.marianne.net (in French). Retrieved 2025-02-15.
  28. "Elias d'Imzalène : entre LFI et l'agitateur islamiste, récit d'un rapprochement". L'Express (in French). 2024-09-16. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
  29.  Intifada dans Paris » : Elias d'Imzalène condamné à 5 mois de prison avec sursis". Le Point (in French). 2024-12-19. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  30. Dufour, Olivia (2024-12-19). "Appel à l'intifada : Elias Imzalène condamné à cinq mois de prison avec sursis". Actu-Juridique (in French). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  31. "Le militant pro-palestinien Elias d'Imzalène condamné à 5 mois de prison avec sursis pour avoir appelé à «mener l'intifada»". Le Figaro (in French). 2024-12-19. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
Ersilia Soudais
ErsiliaSoudaisPL (cropped) (cropped).jpg
Soudais in 2022
Member of the National Assembly
for Seine-et-Marne's 7th constituency
Assumed office
22 June 2022