Anti-Semites and Anti-Semitism in the Chamber of Deputies under the Third Republic

Anti-Semitism and Discrimination: Speech and Procedures
By Laurent Joly
English

Nearly all major political crises which have marked the history of the Third Republic were accompanied by intense anti-Semitic campaigns which did not spare the Chamber of Deputies, the most important place for political expression and actual heart of power. In 1895, a handful of deputies who were disciples of Edouard Drumont managed to initiate a big debate on the “€œJewish Question” that took place in a divided and argumentative assembly. Three years later, about thirty deputies formed the nebulous nationalist party gathered. Anti-Semitism was not on the political agenda given the paucity of anti-Semitic proposals that soon came to light and the fact that most of the anti-Semitic deputies, conscious of their careers, reconverted to conservative Catholicism. In fact, in 1936, questioning the place of Jews in the State and the society became trivial and one of the most important representatives from the opposition right, Xavier Vallat, attacked Léon Blum saying out loud what the Chamber and public opinion thought in silence.

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