French Jewish scholar Georges Bensoussan is being sued by Muslim anti-racism groups for saying in a radio debate: “In French Arab families, babies suckle antisemitism with their mothers’ milk.”

Mr Bensoussan, who is the editor of the magazine The Shoah History Review, said he was roughly quoting Algerian sociologist Smain Laacher, but the groups suing him claim his statements amounted to incitement to hatred.

In a Paris court last week, Mr Bensoussan argued that many Muslim scholars “have said the same things that I have but they’re not being sued”.

Several scholars testified at the stand, some saying they were outraged to see Mr Bensoussan in court, others saying the historian had crossed red lines.

“I was shocked by his words. I am an Arab and I’m not an anti-Semite. My family has never taught me to hate Jews,” said journalist Mohamed Sifaoui. “I sent emissaries to Georges Bensoussan to ask him to apologize to those he has hurt but he refused. He’s a historian he should be more subtle. Of course many Muslims are anti-Semitic. Saying otherwise would be dishonest. But there are also Muslims who fight antisemitism. Denying that is also dishonest.”