US envoy to France criticises Macron over rise in antisemitism

Charles Kushner, the newly appointed United States ambassador to France, has made his first public statement since arriving in Paris in early July — and it is already sparking diplomatic tensions between Washington and the Elysée Palace.

In a strongly worded letter dated August 25, and released to the press the evening before, Kushner expressed alarm over what he described as a "dramatic rise of antisemitism" in France, Caliber.Az reports via Le Monde. 

Addressing French President Emmanuel Macron directly, Kushner criticised the French government’s handling of the issue and warned against its position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"On the 81st anniversary of the Allied Liberation of Paris, which ended the deportation of Jews from French soil, I write out of deep concern over the dramatic rise of antisemitism in France and the lack of sufficient action by your government to confront it," wrote Kushner, who was appointed to the ambassadorship by President Donald Trump in January.

His letter echoes recent criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who last week sent a similar message to Macron. In a letter dated August 19, Netanyahu voiced disapproval of France’s plan to support the recognition of a Palestinian state at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September.

"Your call for a Palestinian state is fueling this antisemitic fire," Netanyahu wrote. "It rewards the terror of Hamas, strengthens Hamas's refusal to release hostages, encourages those who threaten French Jews, and fosters the hatred of Jews that now prowls your streets."

The Elysée Palace quickly rejected Netanyahu's remarks, describing the accusation as "abject" and "erroneous."

Kushner, however, backed Netanyahu’s assessment in full, warning that Macron’s diplomatic overtures toward Palestinian statehood could embolden "extremists and increase threats to Jewish communities in France."

"Public statements haranguing Israel and gestures toward recognition of a Palestinian state embolden extremists, fuel violence, and endanger Jewish life in France," Kushner wrote. "In today’s world, anti-Zionism is antisemitism – plain and simple."

He concluded his letter on a personal note, emphasising his close ties to President Trump and their shared family connections to Judaism: "President Trump and I have Jewish children and share Jewish grandchildren. I know how he feels about antisemitism, as do all Americans."

By Sabina Mammadli