Elham Asaad Buaras
France is facing a political storm following allegations that the country’s leading Jewish institution commissioned surveillance of French Muslims and passed the findings to Israeli intelligence services.
On November 28, the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) condemned the Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF), describing the operation as “unprecedented and extremely serious.” The CFCM claimed the inquiry, directed at French Muslims, had been “fuelled by political, administrative, and security authorities” in France before allegedly being transmitted to “the intelligence services of a foreign power.”
The allegations surfaced after a video posted in late November by Didier Long went viral. Long, who claims to have worked for CRIF, was speaking at an event in Jerusalem in October. During his remarks, he said that since early 2023 he has been developing “a strategy for the CRIF and the various Jewish organisations in France” in collaboration with Dov Maïmon, whom he describes as someone who “works with the State of Israel on ties with Islam and advises the Israeli government on security and the relations of Jews in the European diaspora.” Long further alleged that he and Maïmon held numerous meetings with “people from the DGSI, analysis officials, former police commissioners from Seine-Saint-Denis, divisional commissioners, people from the DRM (Directorate of Military Intelligence), local political figures, security profiles, intellectuals, etc.”
Long characterises their work as acting as “watchers and analysts,” assessing what they believed to be “a threat” posed by French Muslims to the Jewish community. He alleges that their investigation concluded that “three million Muslims pose a danger and harbour hatred towards Jews,” and that approximately 150,000 Jews were considered “in danger” due to living near Arabic-speaking Muslims, Turks, or Pakistanis. He also claims that “in many municipalities, Jews would be surrounded by Muslims.” According to Long, the information gathered through these meetings was eventually delivered “in the form of a report to Israeli intelligence agencies.”
The CFCM responded swiftly and forcefully, stating that the allegations raise fundamental questions about state conduct. “In whose name, and why, could information concerning French citizens have been commissioned, gathered, and transmitted to foreign intelligence services? Under what conditions could French civil servants, presented as having been approached, have contributed to such an undertaking?” the council asked.
The organisation argued that the alleged collection of data on religious affiliation constituted the processing of “particularly sensitive” personal information under France’s national data regulator, the Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés (CNIL). The CFCM said it had already referred the matter to CNIL and urged the Interior Ministry to launch a “thorough and transparent” investigation.
The scandal has come at a sensitive moment for France, following a contentious Ifop poll on French Muslims that scholars and rights groups have criticised for stigmatising the community. The CFCM warned that the alleged covert operation could further entrench the “racialisation of French society,” emphasising that “sweeping generalisations and conflations have no place within the Republic.”
The CFCM also demanded that all institutions named in Long’s video—including CRIF, police bodies, and intelligence agencies—respond publicly to the allegations. “Given the gravity of the accusations, the CRIF, as well as the police and intelligence services and all the entities mentioned by Mr Long, cannot remain silent. Clarification and explanations from them are urgently required,” the council stated.
Legal repercussions may be on the horizon. The CFCM has confirmed it is seeking legal advice on whether to bring a case “before the competent courts against the two men and their potential supporters.”
As of the time of reporting, the French government had not issued an official response.
Feature photo: Speaking at an event in Jerusalem in October, French consultant Didier Meir Long says he shared data that he has been collecting since 2023 from French intelligence agents on French Muslims with the Israeli government. (Credit: Didier Meir Long/X)
