She was also admitted to the Science Po Lille, an elite French university also known as a ‘Grand École’. She has been expelled.
The Union of French Jewish Students (UEJF) accused Atalla of having called for the “extermination of the Jews” and having “congratulated Hitler.
“Sciences Po Lille cannot be a gateway for neo-Nazi discourse,” the union said.
The school told Agence France-Presse that it had admitted Atalla at the suggestion of the French Consulate General in Jerusalem.
“She came to France via French diplomacy,” the school added. “The young woman was given temporary accommodation in the home of the director of Sciences Po Lille, where he no longer lives, while awaiting the university accommodation reserved for her.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot wrote on X: “The screening carried out by the relevant departments of the ministries concerned clearly did not work.”
Barrot said that he had “asked for an internal investigation to be carried out so that this can never happen again.”
France has accepted about 600 Gazans into the country since October 7 in a programme that focuses on taking in teachers and students from the Strip.
France’s interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, called Atalla’s posts “unacceptable and concerning.”
“I immediately requested the closure of this hateful account and instructed the prefect to refer the matter to the judiciary,” Retailleau wrote. “Hamas propagandists have no place in our country.”
Philippe Baptiste, minister for higher education and research, wrote, “Whether they come from Gaza or elsewhere, international students making or relaying such remarks have no place in our country."
