Israel France row escalates over Macron Palestinian state recognition
The French presidency issued a swift and forceful rebuttal, labelling Netanyahu's allegation as both abject and erroneous. A statement from the Elysee emphasised that this is a time for seriousness and responsibility, not for conflation and manipulation.
Netanyahu's serious accusation was detailed in a letter addressed directly to Macron, which was seen by international news agency AFP.
The letter claimed that antisemitism had surged across France following the French president's announcement last month.
Macron had declared that France would formally recognise a Palestinian state during a United Nations meeting scheduled for September. That initial announcement drew an immediate and sharp rebuke from the Israeli government at the time.
In his personal letter, Netanyahu delivered a stark message to the French leader. Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on this antisemitic fire, Netanyahu wrote. It is not diplomacy, it is appeasement.
It rewards Hamas terror, hardens Hamas's refusal to free the hostages, emboldens those who menace French Jews and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking your streets.
With this move, France is poised to join a growing list of nations recognising Palestinian statehood since the Gaza war began nearly two years ago. According to an AFP tally, France is among at least 145 of the 193 UN members that now recognise or plan to recognise a Palestinian state.
France has a long-standing foreign policy of advocating for the so-called two-state solution. This envisions a Palestinian state living in peace side-by-side with an Israeli one. The French government has asserted that its move to recognise a Palestinian state is actually a stance against Hamas, which rules Gaza.
The French position is that Hamas has excluded the two-state solution from its agenda. In its official response to Netanyahu's antisemitism allegation, the French presidency stated unequivocally that France protects and will always protect its Jewish citizens.
Macron's office added that the allegation in Netanyahu's letter will not go unanswered.
The French presidency described violence against the Jewish community as intolerable. That is why, beyond criminal convictions, the president has systematically required all his governments since 2017 to show the strongest action against perpetrators of antisemitic acts, the statement read.
Macron's minister for Europe, Benjamin Haddad, separately reacted to Netanyahu's letter with defiance. Haddad stated that France has no lessons to learn in the fight against antisemitism.
He added that the issue which is poisoning our European societies must not be exploited. France is home to the largest Jewish community in Europe.
Reported antisemitic acts in France have seen a significant increase in recent years. Official figures from the interior ministry show a surge from 436 incidents in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023. The number dipped slightly to 1,570 reported acts last year.
The diplomatic fallout extended beyond France, as Australia also plans to recognise Palestinian statehood next month. This decision earned sharp criticism from Netanyahu earlier on Tuesday.
The Israeli leader used his office's official X account to call Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews.
The personal attack occurred amidst a separate diplomatic spat between Israel and Australia. The Australian government cancelled the visa of far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman on Monday.
Rothman, whose ultranationalist party is part of Netanyahu's governing coalition, was scheduled to speak at events in Australia. Hours after his visa was cancelled, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar revoked the visas of Australia's representatives to the Palestinian Authority.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called Israel's reaction unjustified.
She stated that Netanyahu's government is isolating Israel and undermining international efforts towards peace and a two-state solution. - AFP
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