An "offense to the whole of France": Macron responds to Netanyahu on anti-Semitism

"These accusations of inaction in the face of a scourge that we are fighting with all our might are unacceptable and offend the whole of France," he wrote, adding that this fight "cannot be exploited," in a letter to the Prime Minister made public Tuesday by the daily newspaper Le Monde.

Benjamin Netanyahu has sparked a new crisis with France by accusing Emmanuel Macron of "fueling the anti-Semitic fire" with his intention to recognize the Palestinian state.

In a letter to the head of state dated August 17, he said he was "concerned by the alarming rise of anti-Semitism in France and by the lack of decisive action (by) the government to address it."

"Since your public statements attacking Israel and signaling recognition of a Palestinian state, it has increased," he said.

On August 19, the French presidency had already denounced this accusation as "erroneous" and "abject", and deplored the fact that Emmanuel Macron had learned of it through the press.

The French head of state emphasizes in his letter that he waited for his interlocutor to become aware of it before making it public. "This is basic courtesy," he says.

"I remain and will remain the guarantor of the imperative need to combat this abomination, everywhere and always," he assures.

"Anti-Semitism in our country has a long history, has long been fueled by the far right, and is now also fueled by the far left, which essentializes the Jewish community and supports hatred against it," he points out.

"Indignity and impasse"

Emmanuel Macron believes that his diplomatic initiative in favor of recognizing the State of Palestine is an "outstretched hand" to Israel for "lasting peace" in the region and also rejects any accusation of supporting, through this process, the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

"I solemnly call on you to abandon the deadly and illegal headlong rush into a permanent war in Gaza that exposes your country to indignity and your people to a dead end, to cease the illegal and unjustifiable recolonization of the West Bank, and to seize the outstretched hand of international partners willing to work toward a future of peace, security, and prosperity for Israel and the region," he continued.

According to him, "the Palestinian state must represent the end of Hamas." "This is the only way today to truly eradicate Hamas and prevent Israeli youth from being consumed by a permanent war, devastating not only for the Palestinians of Gaza, but also for Israel and the entire region," he asserts.

The US ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, father of Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also sent a similar letter to President Macron, which earned him a summons to the French Foreign Ministry on Monday.

"Statements that vilify Israel and gestures in recognition of a Palestinian state encourage extremists, foment violence and endanger Jewishness in France," he wrote, echoing Mr. Netanyahu's argument.

A total of 504 anti-Semitic acts were recorded (including 323 attacks on individuals) between January and May 2025, according to the latest figures provided by the Ministry of the Interior. This represents a 24% decrease over one year, but a doubling (+134%) compared to the same period in 2013.

The context is particularly delicate since France is home to the largest Jewish community in Western Europe, with around 500,000 people, alongside a very large Arab-Muslim community, which is very sensitive to the fate of the Palestinians in Gaza.

After showing solidarity with Israel, which was hit by unprecedented attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which led to the outbreak of war in Gaza, Emmanuel Macron has since distanced himself and increased his criticism of the Israeli government's strategy in this conflict.