France summons US envoy over letter accusing Paris of failing to tackle antisemitism

France’s Foreign Ministry has summoned US Ambassador Charles Kushner after he accused the French government of not doing enough to confront antisemitism.

In a letter addressed to President Emmanuel Macron, Kushner who is former US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law alleged that antisemitism in France had “exploded” since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault on Israel.

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He claimed Jews in the country face daily assaults, vandalism of synagogues, and attacks on Jewish-owned businesses.

The French government strongly rejected the accusations, describing them as “unacceptable” and “falling short of the quality of the transatlantic relationship.” The ministry stressed that authorities remain “fully committed” to tackling antisemitism, which it acknowledged has risen sharply since the Gaza war began.

Kushner urged Macron to enforce hate crime laws “without exception” and warned that France’s public gestures toward recognizing Palestinian statehood embolden extremists. “Public statements haranguing Israel and gestures toward recognition of a Palestinian state embolden extremists, fuel violence, and endanger Jewish life in France,” he wrote.

The ambassador also advised Macron to abandon what he described as “steps that give legitimacy to Hamas and its allies,” pointing to Trump-era measures such as civil rights protections for Jewish students and deportations of “Hamas sympathizers” in the US.

Asked about the remarks, US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Washington fully backed Kushner’s comments.

France is among several Western nations including Australia, Canada, Portugal, and the UK preparing to recognize a Palestinian state in September. Israel has sharply criticized the move, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accusing Paris of “rewarding Hamas terror” in a letter to Macron.

Macron, however, has maintained that the recognition aligns with France’s long-standing commitment to a two-state solution and a lasting peace in the Middle East.

(CNN)