A new hand gesture originating in France has worked many politicians, bureaucrats and commentators into a near frenzy over the possibility that it is, in some way, anti-Semitic. The lack of clarity has not prevented intense debates and recriminations from breaking out in the media in recent weeks.

The "quenelle" is a gesture made by holding your right arm in a straight position and pointing it to the ground some short distance ahead of you. Your left hand then grasps your extended arm, usually somewhere above the elbow. Created by a controversial French comedian, Dieudonne M'bala M'bala, it gained international notoriety when a French soccer player playing in England used the gesture as part of a goal celebration in December. Nicolas Anelka was promptly branded an anti-Semite, unleashing a flood of accusations and counter-accusations that has left finger-pointers competing very aggressively for the honor of being the most offended. To avoid any ambiguity on his inspiration for using the quenelle, Anelka tweeted afterward that the gesture was a "special dedication" to his friend Dieudonne.

This week, Dieudonne was denied permission by the British government to enter the country to demonstrate his solidarity with Anelka, who is facing disciplinary action by the Football Association, the sport's governing body in England. In order to assist the FA with its inquiries, a special expert has been retained to help determine whether the quenelle is actually racist or simply obscene.

I suppose it is quite impressive that an individual has spent so much time studying and researching that he develops a reputation for expertise in the field of offensive hand gestures, although it is hard to imagine that he sees much in the way of regular employment, at least in his area of hyper-specialization.

While the FA continues its deliberations, Anelka's team, West Bromwich Albion, issued a statement acknowledging that the gesture may have caused offense and Anelka has agreed not to use the quenelle again. Despite the fact that Zoopla, the team's principal sponsor, has canceled its endorsement deal because of the furor, Anelka has continued to play for his team in recent matches.

For Dieudonne, whose name means "God-given," the exclusion order handed down in London was only the latest in his legal troubles. He has been repeatedly prosecuted for inciting racial hatred in France because of the inclusion in his stand-up comedy act of anti-Semitic jokes, as well as offensive comments about the Holocaust. In recent weeks, a number of his shows have been canceled over fears of potential violence. When bailiffs went to his house in Dreux, in the north of France, to collect fines from him in relation to these earlier convictions, Dieudonne fired rubber bullets at them. He was promptly taken into custody, together with his partner, Noemie Montagne. Both now claim that they are the subject of police harassment.

For opponents of the quenelle, it is clearly an inversed Nazi salute that was created by a convicted anti-Semite, leaving no ambiguity as to its meaning. Others argue that the quenelle is nothing more than an anti-establishment gesture, one that is not tied to any particular ethnic group. The word "quenelle" itself refers to a small dumpling in the shape of a sausage that is said to bear a striking resemblance to a suppository — hence the argument that the gesture is simply an obscenity.

Dieudonne has been a popular comedian for many years and only recently began to feature anti-Jewish humor more prominently in his act. Notably, when he began performing, he partnered with a Jewish comedian, Elie Semoun, and was identified with the left of the political spectrum. His drift toward the far right appears to have picked up momentum after 9/11, when he began to focus more and more on Jews.

Unsurprisingly, the more French authorities have cracked down on Dieudonne for his extremist remarks the more momentum he has developed among his young fans, both on social media and at his live performances. He is now seen by some as a symbol of free speech who is being unjustly persecuted for his controversial views.

The sincerity of the concern behind France's vigilance in combating anti-Semitism is admirable, although perhaps this sentiment would have been much more effective if it had been demonstrated as forcefully in 1943 as it is being shown today.

Regardless, while committees and courts continue to wrestle with the philosophical conundrum of what a recently made-up hand gesture actually means, France continues to drift toward further disharmony and disruption. A stalled economy and an ineffective government leave little cause for optimism in the minds of many French youths.

Instead, they can find common cause in Dieudonne's "shock-value" stand-up routines and his newly minted "up yours" gesture — for whatever good that will do them.

Timothy Spangler is a writer and commentator who divides his time between Los Angeles and London. His radio show, "The Bigger Picture with Timothy Spangler," airs every Sunday night from 10 p.m. to midnight Pacific time on KRLA AM 870. To find out more about Timothy Spangler and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.