File photo: French President Emmanuel Macron (left) and American ambassador in Paris, Charles Kushner (Picture credit: AP)
France has summoned the American ambassador in Paris, Charles Kushner, after he accused President Emmanuel Macron’s government of failing to act strongly enough against antisemitism.The French foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday that Kushner’s allegations were “unacceptable” and that he had been called to appear at the ministry for Europe and foreign affairs on Monday. “France firmly rejects these allegations,” the ministry added, stressing that French authorities were “fully mobilised” to tackle antisemitic acts which it called “intolerable.” According to news agency AP, the ministry also warned that Kushner’s intervention violated the Vienna Convention by interfering in the internal affairs of another country.Kushner, a real-estate developer and father of Jared Kushner, who is married to US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, had published the remarks in a letter to Macron carried by the Wall Street Journal. In it, he alleged that antisemitism in France had “exploded” since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza. “In France, not a day passes without Jews assaulted in the street, synagogues or schools defaced, or Jewish-owned businesses vandalised,” Kushner wrote, urging Macron to enforce hate-crime laws more vigorously and to soften criticism of Israel. According to news agency Reuters, he also tied the surge in antisemitic incidents to France’s plan to recognise a Palestinian state, arguing that such moves embolden extremists.As per BBC, Kushner’s claims echoed comments made earlier by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had also accused Macron of fuelling antisemitism through his stance on Palestinian statehood. Macron, however, has argued that recognising Palestine is essential for long-term peace and has simultaneously increased security at synagogues and Jewish centres.The episode comes at a sensitive time in Franco-American relations. According to AP, both governments have clashed recently over trade disputes, the future of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, and their approaches to the war in Ukraine. Still, Macron held what was described as a “warm” meeting with Trump and other European leaders in Washington last week.France is home to Western Europe’s largest Jewish community, estimated at around 500,000 people, as well as a large Muslim population. Both groups have reported a rise in hate crimes since the Gaza conflict began, with the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory claiming more than 60,000 people have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to BBC.The White House has not commented on the row, but state department spokesperson Tommy Pigott defended Kushner on Sunday and was quoted by AP as saying, “Ambassador Kushner is our US government representative in France and is doing a great job advancing our national interests in that role”.
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