Accused of anti-Semitism, influencer Poupette Kenza attacks the government

After making anti-Semitic remarks on Instagram, the influencer found herself at the heart of the controversy. Return to the Poupette Kenza affair.

“I tell you, it’s clear and clear, I am pro-Palestinian, I do not work for any Zionist or Jewish person […]. I have no partner, no agent who is Jewish or anything,” said influencer Poupette Kenza in a story published Wednesday May 15 on her Instagram account followed by more than a million people. were quick to react at the top of the State. The interministerial delegation for the fight against racism, anti-Semitism and anti-LGBT hatred (Dilcrah) indicated on Thursday that it had reported the video to the prosecutor.

And while the Union of Jewish Students of France (UEJF) announced on having filed a complaint against Kenza Benchrif, her real name, for “incitement to hatred and discrimination”, considering that given the number of subscribers of the influencer, such comments “endangered Jews”, the Minister responsible for the Fight against Discrimination, Aurore Bergé, recalled on the social network that “boycotting women and men because of their identity or religion is obviously illegal.” The socialist deputy Arthur Delaporte also denounced on a video “of incredible anti-Semitic violence […] unacceptable” and announced that he had “seized Pharos”, namely the government site for reporting illegal content and behavior online.

The main person concerned had, for her part, published a new video shortly after the one at the heart of the controversy, in which she claimed to have “expressed herself poorly” and assured that she had nothing “against the Jews”. That didn’t stop Instagram from temporarily deactivating his account Thursday afternoon. Once again accessible to all a few hours later, Poupette Kenza’s account presented a new message of apology in written form. And if the influencer admits to having committed a “serious mistake”, she insists on the fact that it was “involuntary”. Poupette Kenza also returns to the Dilcrah report, directly accusing the government. “In my opinion, it is lamentable and dangerous that the French government uses me and throws me out to pasture for political purposes,” denounces the influencer, who deplores now facing an “unprecedented wave of hatred, violence” and also being the subject of death and rape threats.