France has summoned the US Ambassador to Paris, Charles Kushner, after he wrote a letter accusing the French President, Emmanuel Macron, of failing to confront antisemitism.
Relations between France and the US have been marked with tensions following the return of Donald Trump to office this year, as the two countries are divided over a number of issues, most notably the recognition of a Palestinian State.
Summoning US Ambassador
The French Foreign Ministry summoned Kushner to appear in front of the ministry on Monday, calling his allegations “unacceptable” and a violation of international law, a spokesperson said.
“France has learned of the allegations made by the United States Ambassador, Mr. Charles Kushner, who, in a letter to the President of the Republic, expressed his concern about the rise in antisemitic acts in France and noted the alleged lack of sufficient action by the French authorities to combat them,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“France firmly rejects these allegations,” the statement added, describing Kushner’s claims as a violation of international law and the obligation not to interfere with the internal affairs of another country.
“They also fall short of the quality of the transatlantic partnership between France and the United States and of the trust that must prevail between allies,” it noted.
Kushner’s Letter
Charles Kushner is a Jewish real-estate developer and Ivanka Trump’s father-in-law. At the end of his first term, Trump pardoned Kushner, who previously pleaded guilty to tax evasion and illegal campaign donations.
Kushner wrote an open letter addressed to Macron, published in the Wall Street Journal, expressing his “deep concern” over the “rise of anti-Semitism” in France and the lack of sufficient action by the French government to confront it.
“Antisemitism has long scarred French life, but it has exploded since Hamas’s barbaric assault on Oct. 7, 2023,” Kushner wrote. “Public statements haranguing Israel and gestures toward recognition of a Palestinian state embolden extremists, fuel violence, and endanger Jewish life in France. In today’s world, anti-Zionism is antisemitism—plain and simple,” he added.
Kushner concluded his letter by urging Macron to enforce hate crime laws “without exception,” ensure the safety of the Jewish community, and “abandon steps that give legitimacy to Hamas and its allies.”
US Response
The White House has not commented on the incident. However, the US State Department spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, told CNN that they support Kushner’s comments.
“Yes, we stand by his comments. Ambassador Kushner is our US government representative in France and is doing a great job advancing our national interests in that role,” Pigott said.
France-Israel Dispute
Kushner’s letter followed a similar one to Macron by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he accused the French President of making a decision that “rewards Hamas terror,” by recognizing a Palestinian State.
Macron announced that Paris will formally recognize a Palestinian State in September, with several countries following suit and making similar decisions, including the UK, Canada and Australia. The move aims to revive the two-state solution to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and end the war in Gaza.
This has sparked Israel’s outrage, prompting it to launch a series of diplomatic attacks against the leaders of these countries. In the light of this, Netanyahu told Macron that “Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on this antisemitic fire.”
“It is not diplomacy, it is appeasement. It rewards Hamas terror, hardens Hamas’s refusal to free the hostages, emboldens those who menace French Jews and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking your streets,” he wrote in his letter to the French leader on Tuesday.
France responded by calling Netanyahu’s claims “abject,” adding that “This is a time for seriousness and responsibility, not for conflation and manipulation,” the French presidency stated.
US-French Tensions
The intended recognition of Palestinian Statehood has also faced opposition from the US, which sees the initiative as “counterproductive” to peace efforts in the region.
Relations between France and the US have also been marked with tensions over other issues, such as Trump’s tariffs and the future of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, as Paris opposes Washington’s proposal to end the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission. The UN Security Council will vote on the issue by the end of the month, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The two countries have also been divided over support for Ukraine. But after Trump’s meeting with Macron and European leaders at the White House last week, and his readiness to help in providing security guarantees for Kyiv, tensions have slightly eased.
