US Ambassador to France Charles Kushner was summoned to the Foreign Ministry after criticism that angered Paris over President Emmanuel Macron's "insufficient action" against anti-Semitism.

In a letter to the head of state, the ambassador expressed "deep concern about the rise of anti-Semitism in France and the lack of sufficient action by (his) government to combat it," echoing criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The accusations are "unacceptable," according to the spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry, who "categorically rejects" them:

"They are contrary to international law, in particular the obligation not to interfere in the internal affairs of states. Furthermore, they do not reflect the quality of transatlantic relations between France and the United States and the trust that must exist between allies," he said, quoted by AFP.

He specified that "Ambassador Kushner will be summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, August 25," which is an extremely rare measure between allies.

The criticism of the American diplomat, who recently took up his post in Paris, comes a few days after Benjamin Netanyahu's sharp attack on the French president, whom he accuses of "fueling anti-Semitism" by calling for international recognition of the state of Palestine.

"A wrong, despicable mistake (that) will not go unanswered," the French presidential administration had already responded.

In his letter of Monday, August 25, the US ambassador reiterated Netanyahu's arguments.

"Statements that denigrate Israel and gestures in recognition of a Palestinian state encourage extremists, fuel violence, and threaten the Jewish community in France," said Kushner, father of Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

"Today, there can be no hesitation: anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism, period," he said.

According to the ambassador, "not a day goes by in France without Jews being attacked in the streets, synagogues and schools being desecrated, and Jewish-owned businesses being vandalized. Your own government's Ministry of the Interior has reported that kindergartens have been the target of anti-Semitic vandalism."

The context is particularly sensitive, as France is home to the largest Jewish community in Western Europe, numbering around 500,000, as well as a very large Arab-Muslim community that is deeply concerned about the fate of Palestinians in Gaza.

The weekend was marked by the filing of charges of "discrimination based on origin, ethnic affiliation, or nationality" against the manager of an amusement park in southern France who refused entry to a group of 150 young Israelis. According to the prosecutor's office, he cited "security concerns."

The US representative in France also expressed outrage that "almost half of young French people say they have never heard of the Holocaust."

Praising President Trump's actions in this area and the ability to "combat anti-Semitism, as long as our leaders have the will to act," the US ambassador to France called on the French president to "act decisively."

"The rise in anti-Semitic incidents in France since October 7, 2023, is a reality that we condemn and against which the French authorities are fully mobilized, as these incidents are unacceptable," the French diplomatic service responded.

At the end of July, Macron announced that France would recognize the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September. As a result, more than ten Western countries, including Canada and Australia, called on other countries around the world to follow suit.

The UN General Assembly, scheduled for September, ends on the 23rd, the day of the Jewish New Year, and a date before which Benjamin Netanyahu called on Emmanuel Macron to "replace weakness with action, appeasement with resolve" in the fight against anti-Semitism. | BGNES