French President Emmanuel Macron has denounced as “abject” and “erroneous” remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accused him of fuelling antisemitism by pledging to recognise a Palestinian state.
The diplomatic tensions escalated following Macron’s announcement last month that France would recognise Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September, a move supported by Britain, Canada, and Australia but strongly opposed by Israel.
In a statement released on Tuesday evening, Macron’s office rejected Netanyahu’s claims, saying, “The analysis that France’s decision to recognise the state of Palestine in September explains the rise in antisemitic violence in France is erroneous, abject, and will not go unanswered. The current period calls for seriousness and responsibility, not generalisation and manipulation.”
Netanyahu, in a letter dated Monday and seen by the Associated Press, argued that antisemitism had “surged” in France since Macron’s announcement. “Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on this antisemitism fire,” he wrote.
The tensions extended beyond France, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dismissing Netanyahu’s criticism on Wednesday after the Israeli leader accused him of being a “weak politician who had betrayed Israel” by supporting Palestinian statehood recognition.
France is home to Western Europe’s largest Jewish population, estimated at around 500,000 people, or about 1% of its total population. The country has recorded a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents, particularly after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. These incidents include physical assaults, threats, harassment, and vandalism, sparking concerns among Jewish communities and leaders.
Macron’s office reiterated his longstanding stance against antisemitism, stating that since 2017, and especially after the October 7 attacks, he has instructed successive governments to “take the strongest possible action against the perpetrators of antisemitic acts.”
Last week, Israeli airline El Al reported that its Paris office had been vandalised with anti-Israel graffiti, describing the incident as “deeply disturbing.” In another case, Macron vowed to ensure the prosecution of attackers who destroyed an olive tree planted in memory of a French Jew murdered in 2006.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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