France is calling on US Ambassador to Paris, Charles Kushner, to respond to serious allegations regarding the country’s approach to rising antisemitism. The tensions were ignited following an open letter Kushner penned to President Emmanuel Macron in the Wall Street Journal, where he indicated that antisemitic sentiments in France have intensified since the recent conflict in Gaza.
In his letter, Kushner, who belongs to a Jewish heritage and is connected to the Trump family, emphasized the alarming instances of antisemitism that have long plagued French society, citing daily assaults on Jews, vandalism of synagogues and Jewish businesses, and security threats to Jewish educational institutions. He urged Macron to temper his criticisms of Israel and voiced his readiness to collaborate on the development of a concrete plan to address the antisemitism issue.
France's foreign ministry firmly rejected Kushner's assertions as "unacceptable" and reminded him that, per the 1961 Vienna Convention, it is inappropriate for ambassadors to intervene in domestic matters. The ambassador's communication echoed sentiments earlier expressed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who similarly addressed Macron, alleging that France’s support for Palestinian statehood contributes to antisemitic attitudes.
President Macron recently stated the importance of establishing a viable Palestinian state in a bid to secure peace in the region, alongside his commitment to combating antisemetic acts within France. With the ongoing violence stemming from the conflict that erupted on October 7, claiming thousands of lives in both Israel and Gaza, the humanitarian crisis in the region continues to deepen, further complicating diplomatic relations and local sentiments.
