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French Embassy reinstates “Hitler didn’t finish the job” employee


The French embassy in Tunisia has allowed a worker to resume their duties after antisemitic comments were posted on their Facebook page.

Selim Dakhlaoui was suspended in August after comments surfaced that had been made in his name.

These comments included “Hitler didn’t finish the job”, said in the context of a discussion about Israel. He also allegedly posted “Soon it will be the end of Israel” with a missile emoji and “Go to hell, Israel”.

He later claimed that his account had been compromised. The JTA has just revealed that he was reinstated after an investigation.

Online antisemitism is absolutely rampant, and Dakhlaoui’s claim that his account has been compromised will seem like a get out of jail free card to Jewish communities in France, and the tiny number left in Tunisia, who are unlikely to be convinced by such a defence.

The CRIF, which represents Jewish communities in France, commented on the initial allegations: “This is a hateful comment, just like the ones we see too often on social media…except this one was authored by an employee of the embassy of France in Tunisia. We anxiously await their reaction!”

We cannot help but think that many Jewish communities will be saddened and disappointed, albeit not necessarily surprised by such a reaction. Employers and states must start to find ways to deal with online antisemitism of this sort, as unless they do so, almost anyone will be able to avoid disciplinary action simply by denying authorship of a post on their own account.