French humorist Dieudonné to be retried for offensive comments

France's highest court of appeal has ordered that comedian Dieudonné be retried on charges of racial defamation and inciting racial hatred after making anti-Jewish comments. Striking down his acquittal, the court ruled that remarks made by Dieudonné in November 2003 called into question the Jewish community. The comedian repeatedly attacked Jewish leaders in France and Israel, saying: "Jews are part of a sect, it's a fraud. It's one of the worst sects, because it was the first one". He also sparked outrage a month later when he performed a sketch on national television in which he dressed up as an Orthodox Jew, gave the Nazi salute and jokingly urged French youths to "join the Axis of Good: the American-Zionist Axis". Dieudonné had been acquitted both by a lower court and the Paris appeals court, which said that while the comedian's use of the words "sect" and "fraud" were "strong and shocking", they should be taken in context of the entire interview. The high court's ruling means that Dieudonné, who has repeatedly denied that he is anti-Semitic, but merely a critic of Israeli policies, will face a new trial in the Paris appeals court.