“The first thing, I apologize for the abject, shocking drawings I made when I was 20 years old. The young man I was, I would spit on him today, ” said Yann Moix. “I apologize to Bernard Henri-Lévy (the Jewish philosopher and author who is one of his relatives) and to all those I have hurt from the depths of my being. Sorry for those comics, “he said.

PARIS—A French author and columnist, known for his staunch defense of the State of Israel, has apologized for antisemitic drawings and negationist texts he authored when he was a student thirty years ago.

French magazine L’Express last week published the drawings and texts.

51-year-old Yann Moix, who won several top French literary prizes, appeared on a French television talk show Saturday night saying :  ‘’I  did not have the shoulders wide enough to kill myself physically so I committed suicide morally. I have a disgust for myself, this failure, this despised and despicable being. I vomited.’’ ” I ask forgiveness,’’ he added.

“The first thing, I apologize for the abject, shocking drawings I made when I was 20 years old. The young man I was, I would spit on him today, “he said. “I apologize to Bernard Henri-Lévy (the Jewish philosopher and author who is one of his relatives) and to all those I have hurt from the depths of my being. Sorry for those comics, “he said.

“These texts and drawings are anti-Semitic, but I am not anti-Semitic,” the writer said, presenting himself as” the best defender of Judaism. ”

The writer has been controversial for several weeks since the release of his new book Orleans, a novel in which he tells his childhood, marked by the abuse of his father, “a pure fabulation” according to latter.