France has summoned U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner after he accused President Emmanuel Macron’s government of failing to confront rising antisemitism. The Foreign Ministry called the accusations “unacceptable,” saying they overstepped diplomatic norms.
What did the ambassador say?
In an Aug. 25 letter published by Le Monde, Kushner tied the increase in antisemitic incidents to Macron’s push for Palestinian state recognition. He wrote that such steps “embolden extremists, fuel violence and endanger Jewish life in France.”
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Additionally, Kushner said, “In today’s world, anti-Zionism is antisemitism — plain and simple.” He urged Macron to enforce hate-crime laws, protect Jewish schools and synagogues, and “abandon steps that give legitimacy to Hamas and its allies.”
How did France respond?
In response, the French Foreign Ministry said Kushner’s accusations “run counter to international law.” It cited the Vienna Convention’s principle of non-interference in domestic affairs.
“France firmly rejects these allegations,” the ministry said in a statement obtained by CBS News. It stressed that authorities are “fully mobilized” against antisemitism, which it described as “intolerable.”
The ministry added that Kushner’s remarks strained the U.S.–France partnership and risked eroding trust between allies. Summoning an ambassador is considered a formal diplomatic protest.
What is the broader context?
Kushner’s comments came days after Israel’s prime minister sent a letter accusing France of “fueling” antisemitism by pushing for Palestinian statehood recognition. However, the Elysée dismissed Netanyahu’s remarks as “abject” and “erroneous.” It insisted it prosecutes violence against French Jews and said that “the Republic protects and will always protect its Jewish citizens.”
France is home to about 500,000 Jews, the largest community in Western Europe. Antisemitic incidents have surged since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, according to French and Israeli officials.
The dispute adds to recent friction between Washington and Paris over U.S. tariffs, U.N. peacekeeping in Lebanon and policy toward Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Kushner is a real estate developer and father of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Trump pardoned him at the end of his first term and appointed him in January. The pardon came after he pleaded guilty to tax evasion and illegal campaign donations.
