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Bardella denies Mediapart report of antisemitic messages from 2013

Mediapart alleges National Rally president Jordan Bardella wrote antisemitic remarks in private chats in 2013. Bardella denies it, says he is suing, and calls it an attempt to destabilise the 2027 campaign.

6 outlets · 1L · 3C · 2R First reported Account updated

Updated (version 4). New coverage since the last version from Arab News, Haaretz, RFI.

Image: France 24
Image: Haaretz
Image: The Straits Times
Image: Arab News
Image: RFI

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The story, neutrally told

The website Mediapart published a report alleging that Jordan Bardella, president of France's National Rally (RN), made antisemitic remarks in private chats in 2013, when he was 17 or 18. The alleged remarks include "All the banks are owned by Jews" and "The Jew has to dominate other people, crush them and rob them". Mediapart says it independently authenticated the conversations, but it published no screenshots.

Bardella, 31, denied the allegations and spoke of "the beginnings of a total war" to destabilise the presidential campaign. He said either Mediapart was running the operation or it was being manipulated by interested parties, and that he had instructed his lawyer to sue for libel. Marine Le Pen said Bardella has her "total confidence" and vowed the RN would "counter-attack"; she said the remarks seemed so odd they could only be a forgery.

RN deputy Jean-Philippe Tanguy blamed members expelled for antisemitism, while left-wing politicians called on Bardella to resign and Crif head Yonathan Arfi said the remarks illustrated the limits of the RN's clean-up. Julien Aubert of The Republicans said that either Mediapart is right and Bardella cannot continue, or it has taken a great risk. Israeli diaspora minister Amichai Chikli defended Bardella, citing his statements against Hamas and his 2025 visit to Israel, and attacked Mediapart's leaders.

The claims come as Le Pen leads polls and the RN, which styles itself a "shield for the Jewish community", tries to shed its antisemitic past.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.

Left1 outlet

Framing
Haaretz, running Reuters copy, focuses on the Israeli angle: Chikli's defence of Bardella as cementing Israeli government ties with Europe's far right.
Emphasis
Israeli government relations with the European far right; describes the comments as widely condemned.
Leaves out or plays down
Bardella's denial, the lawsuit and Mediapart's authentication are not in the available text.
Charged language
“further cementing Chikli's and the Israeli government's ties with Europe's far right”
For example
“further cementing Chikli's and the Israeli government's ties with Europe's far right” — Haaretz

Centre3 outlets

Framing
BBC, France 24 and RFI lead with Bardella's denial, his "total war" claim and the planned lawsuit, and place the row against Le Pen's poll lead and the RN's image repositioning.
Emphasis
Denial and legal action, Le Pen's backing, reactions from the left and Crif, and what it means for the 2027 race.
Leaves out or plays down
Little on the Israeli minister's defence of Bardella in the centre articles read.
Charged language
“total war”“hard-right”
For example
“Bardella condemned "the beginnings of a total war" aimed at destabilising his party” — BBC News
“Several members of the RN party spoke out in defence of Bardella.” — RFI

Right2 outlets

Framing
AFP copy carried by the Straits Times stresses Le Pen's defiance and Bardella's denial; AFP copy carried by Arab News leads with Chikli's defence of Bardella.
Emphasis
Le Pen's vow to counter-attack and Kevlar remark; Chikli's attacks on Mediapart and Bardella's Israel visit.
Leaves out or plays down
The Arab News item leaves out Crif and left-wing calls to resign.
Charged language
“Kevlar vest”“activist media”
For example
“Mediapart that needs to be told to put on its Kevlar vest” — The Straits Times
“Israeli minister defends French far-right’s Bardella in antisemitism row” — Arab News