France has summoned US Ambassador Charles Kushner after he accused the French government of failing to confront antisemitism in an open letter addressed to President Emmanuel Macron.
Kushner, who is Jewish and father of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, wrote in the Wall Street Journal that France had shown insufficient resolve in combating rising antisemitism. Echoing Israel&rsquo;s recent criticism of Paris, he argued that hostility towards Jews had &ldquo;exploded&rdquo; since the Israel&ndash;Hamas war began in October 2023.
&ldquo;In France, not a day passes without Jews assaulted in the street, synagogues or schools defaced, or Jewish-owned businesses vandalized. Your own Interior Ministry has reported antisemitic incidents even at preschools,&rdquo; Kushner wrote, urging Macron to soften his stance toward Israel.
The French Foreign Ministry sharply dismissed the allegations, summoning Kushner on Monday and stating his claims &ldquo;fall short of the quality of the transatlantic relationship&rdquo; between Paris and Washington. In a firm response, it added: &ldquo;The rise in antisemitic acts in France since October 7, 2023, is a reality that we deplore and to which the French authorities are fully committed, given the intolerability of these acts.&rdquo;
Observers note that Kushner&rsquo;s intervention runs parallel to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s recent letter to Macron, which accused the French President of fueling antisemitism by calling for international recognition of a Palestinian state. France, along with the UK, Canada, and Australia, has said it will move ahead with formal recognition of Palestine in September.

France Summons US Envoy Over Kushner’s Letter

Paris rejects Charles Kushner’s claims on antisemitism, calls allegations “unacceptable”

France Summons US Envoy Over Kushner’s Letter

Paris rejects Charles Kushner’s claims on antisemitism, calls allegations “unacceptable”

August 25, 2025 | 20:01 IST