LONDON — The American ambassador to Paris has been called in by France after he penned a letter to President Emmanuel Macron, claiming that France had not done enough to tackle antisemitism effectively.
In a statement released on Sunday, France’s foreign ministry expressed that Charles Kushner was summoned for a meeting on Monday due to remarks they considered “unacceptable.”
The statement emphasized France’s strong denial of these accusations, asserting that French officials are “fully engaged” in addressing the “unacceptable” rise in antisemitic incidents over the previous two years.
According to the French ministry, Kushner’s claims breach international norms and the duty not to interfere in the domestic matters of another nation. “These remarks are also inconsistent with the quality of the transatlantic relationship between France and the U.S. and the mutual trust expected among allies,” it stated.
This incident is a recent indication of the growing rift between the U.S. and its enduring European allies, occurring as tensions rise between Israel, a close U.S. ally, and Western nations over Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
“Antisemitism has a long history in France, but it has intensified since Hamas’s brutal attack on Oct. 7, 2023,” Kushner mentioned in an open letter published in the Wall Street Journal on Sunday.
“Public statements haranguing Israel and gestures toward recognition of a Palestinian state embolden extremists, fuel violence, and endanger Jewish life in France,” added Kushner, who is Jewish.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Sunday evening that it stood by Kushner’s comments, according to the Associated Press news agency. “Ambassador Kushner is our U.S. government representative in France and is doing a great job advancing our national interests in that role,” he said.
France said last month that it plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September, while other traditional allies of Israel such as Australia and Canada have said they will do the same.
Last week, Macron denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusations that this move was fueling antisemitism, calling the suggestion “abject” and “erroneous.”
France is home to the largest Jewish population in Europe, with an estimated 500,000 Jews, the third-largest Jewish population in the world after Israel and the United States. That’s approximately 1% of the national population.
In his letter, Kushner goes on to say that French Jews are living in fear and that Macron should act decisively in protecting them, adding that he stands ready to work with French leaders across the country to “forge a serious plan that addresses the roots of antisemitism and defeats it.”
“Today, many French Jews fear that history will repeat itself in Europe,” he wrote.
“Mr. President, I urge you to act decisively: enforce hate-crime laws without exception; ensure the safety of Jewish schools, synagogues and businesses, prosecute offenders to the fullest extent; and abandon steps that give legitimacy to Hamas and its allies.”
Kushner, a real estate developer, is the father of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. He said during his confirmation hearing in May this year that he was “dedicated to building an even stronger relationship” between the U.S. and France.
During Trump’s first term in the Oval Office, he pardoned Kushner, who pleaded guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations.
