Blanche Gardin, ostracized by the cultural and artistic world for her pro-Palestinian views

On 1 July 2024, during a fundraising event in support of a ceasefire in Gaza held at La Cigale in Paris, comedian Blanche Gardin performed a sketch with Aymeric Lompret that satirized the accusations of antisemitism frequently directed at supporters of the Palestinian cause since 7 October 2023. Structured as an Alcoholics Anonymous-style meeting, the sketch quickly sparked controversy after excerpts circulated on social media.

Several public figures, including Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur, accused Gardin of contributing to the trivialization or minimization of antisemitism in France, particularly within certain left-wing circles. Gardin firmly rejected this interpretation, insisting that she had never sought to deny the existence of antisemitism and stating, on the contrary, that she was deeply concerned by this form of hatred.

The controversy marked a turning point in her career. Since the summer of 2024, Gardin has said that she has received no new offers from the film industry, even though several films in which she appears were shot before the controversy erupted. In various interviews given in 2025, she described what she sees as a form of “social death” linked to her public support for Palestinians. “There are real consequences for my material circumstances. The offers haven’t come back. When you no longer have an income, there are consequences. I have to leave my apartment, for example,” she explained.

According to Gardin, this professional ostracism has been accompanied by intense hostility on social media, including smear campaigns, insults, and threats, amid the growing polarization surrounding the war in Gaza and its repercussions on public debate in France.