France Summons U.s. Ambassador Over ‘unacceptable’ Antisemitism Claims

LONDON — France has summoned nan American ambassador to Paris aft he wrote a missive to President Emmanuel Macron alleging that nan state had not taken “sufficient action” to combat antisemitism.

France’s overseas ministry said successful a connection Sunday that it had summoned Charles Kushner to look Monday complete his criticism, which it said was “unacceptable.”

It said that “France firmly rejects these allegations” and that French authorities person “fully mobilized” to combat nan "intolerable" emergence successful antisemitic acts complete nan past 2 years.

The French ministry said that Kushner’s allegations violated world rule and nan responsibility not to interfere pinch nan soul affairs of different country. “They besides autumn short of nan value of nan transatlantic business betwixt France and nan United States and of nan spot that must prevail betwixt allies," it said.

The section is nan latest motion of a increasing disagreement betwixt nan United States and its longtime partners successful Europe. It comes arsenic Washington's adjacent ally, Israel, progressively clashes pinch Western countries amid fallout from its subject battle connected Gaza.

“Antisemitism has agelong scarred French life, but it has exploded since Hamas’s barbaric battle connected Oct. 7, 2023,” Kushner wrote successful an unfastened missive successful nan Wall Street Journal connected Sunday.

“Public statements haranguing Israel and gestures toward nickname of a Palestinian state embolden extremists, substance violence, and endanger Jewish life successful France,” added Kushner, who is Jewish.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Sunday evening that it stood by Kushner’s comments, according to nan Associated Press news agency. “Ambassador Kushner is our U.S. authorities typical successful France and is doing a awesome occupation advancing our nationalist interests successful that role,” he said.

France said past period that it plans to admit a Palestinian authorities successful September, while different accepted friends of Israel specified arsenic Australia and Canada person said they will do nan same.

Last week, Macron denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's accusations that this move was fueling antisemitism, calling nan proposal "abject" and "erroneous."

France is location to nan largest Jewish organization successful Europe, pinch an estimated 500,000 Jews, nan third-largest Jewish organization successful nan world aft Israel and nan United States. That’s astir 1% of nan nationalist population.

In his letter, Kushner goes connected to opportunity that French Jews are surviving successful fearfulness and that Macron should enactment decisively successful protecting them, adding that he stands fresh to activity pinch French leaders crossed nan state to “forge a superior scheme that addresses nan roots of antisemitism and defeats it.”

A vandalized synagogue successful Paris successful May. France has witnessed aggregate incidents of antisemitism successful nan past fewer years.Magali Cohen / Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

“Today, galore French Jews fearfulness that history will repetition itself successful Europe,” he wrote.

“Mr. President, I impulse you to enactment decisively: enforce hate-crime laws without exception; guarantee nan information of Jewish schools, synagogues and businesses, prosecute offenders to nan fullest extent; and wantonness steps that springiness legitimacy to Hamas and its allies.”

Kushner, a existent property developer, is nan begetter of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. He said during his confirmation proceeding successful May this twelvemonth that he was “dedicated to building an moreover stronger relationship” betwixt nan U.S. and France.

During Trump’s first word successful nan Oval Office, he pardoned Kushner, who pleaded blameworthy years earlier to taxation evasion and making forbidden run donations.