By Shula Rosen( unitedwithisrael)

The mayor of a small town in southwest France has been suspended from office for one month after posting a comment on social media that authorities and political leaders condemned as antisemitic.

Bernard Bazinet, the mayor of Augignac, was formally suspended by French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, with the measure taking effect on Wednesday and running through the end of January, according to French media reports.

The disciplinary action followed a December 4 Facebook comment Bazinet posted in response to a Libération article discussing calls to boycott Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest amid the war in Gaza. In the comment, Bazinet wrote: “Yes to a boycott! France is too Jewish to boycott!”

The remark drew swift criticism across France’s political spectrum. In a statement issued December 22, Nuñez condemned the comment “in the strongest terms,” saying the mayor “no longer holds the moral authority necessary to carry out his duties.”

Bazinet later addressed the controversy in an interview with the French news agency AFP, acknowledging the post and expressing regret. “When I saw that France had approved Israel’s participation, it led me to react foolishly,” he said. “I wasn’t necessarily aware that the term carried antisemitic connotations. When I tried to delete the post, I saw it had already been shared widely and cited by CNews.”

Bazinet, a former member of the Socialist Party, was expelled from the party several days after the post appeared. The party said the decision was taken due to his “antisemitic remarks on social media.”

Antisemitism watchdog groups also weighed in. The organization Combat Antisemitism said the language used by the mayor constituted hate speech rather than political criticism, writing that such expressions carry a long history of dehumanization when used against Jews and are unacceptable from an elected official.

Bazinet has not announced whether he plans to appeal the suspension.