The US ambassador to Paris has strongly criticized the French government for failing to adequately confront rising antisemitism, just days after similar concerns were voiced by Israel, AFP reported on Sunday.
In a letter addressed to President Emmanuel Macron and dated August 25 - the 81st anniversary of the Allied Liberation of Paris, which ended the deportation of Jews under Nazi occupation - Ambassador Charles Kushner expressed “deep concern over the dramatic rise of antisemitism in France and the lack of sufficient action by your government to confront it.”
"In France, not a day passes without Jews assaulted in the street, synagogues or schools defaced, or Jewish-owned businesses vandalized," he wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.
While acknowledging that “antisemitism has long scarred French life,” Kushner noted that anti-Jewish hatred has intensified since Hamas’s October 7 massacre, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
Following the harshly worded letter, France’s Foreign Ministry announced that Kushner would be summoned for a conversation.
The ambassador's sharp rebuke echoed remarks made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week. Netanyahu accused Macron of encouraging antisemitism following the French president’s announcement that he intends to recognize a Palestinian state, stating that antisemitism had “surged” in France since the declaration.
The Elysee Palace dismissed Netanyahu’s comments as “abject” and “erroneous.” Still, Kushner also condemned Macron’s stance on the war in Gaza and the recognition of Palestinian statehood, arguing such positions “embolden extremists, fuel violence, and endanger Jewish life in France.”
"In today's world, anti-Zionism is antisemitism—plain and simple," Kushner wrote.
He further cited data reflecting growing ignorance about the Holocaust among French youth. "Surveys show most French citizens believe another Holocaust could happen in Europe. Nearly half of French youth report never having heard of the Holocaust at all.
"What are children being taught in French schools if such ignorance persists?" the letter asked.
France is home to Europe's largest Jewish community. According to the interior ministry, reported antisemitic acts in France surged from 436 in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023, before dipping to 1,570 last year.
Macron has long criticized Israel’s counterterrorism operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The French President twice called for an arms embargo against Israel to stop the conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah, saying that "stopping the export of weapons" used by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon was the only way to end fighting there.
Later, Macron warned that Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza may be in breach of international humanitarian law.
In yet another incident, the French President lashed out at Netanyahu’s policy regarding humanitarian aid to Gaza as shameful, adding that Europeans should consider increasing sanctions.