A row between Israel and France over Paris’s plan to recognise a Palestinian state subsequent month escalated to disaster stage on Tuesday when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused President Emmanuel Macron of fomenting “antisemitism”.
The Elysee hit again, calling Netanyahu’s allegation “abject” and “misguided”.
“This can be a time for seriousness and duty, not for conflation and manipulation,” the French presidency added.
Netanyahu’s accusation was despatched in a letter addressed to Macron, seen by AFP, which stated that antisemitism had “surged” in France following the French president’s announcement final month that he’ll recognise Palestinian statehood.
Macron stated France would formally recognise a Palestinian state throughout a UN assembly in September — a transfer that on the time drew a swift rebuke from Israel.
In his letter, Netanyahu stated to Macron: “Your name for a Palestinian state pours gas on this antisemitic hearth. It’s not diplomacy, it’s appeasement. It rewards Hamas terror, hardens Hamas’s refusal to free the hostages, emboldens those that menace French Jews and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking your streets.”
By saying the transfer, France was set to affix a rising record of countries to have recognised statehood for the Palestinians for the reason that begin of the Gaza conflict almost two years in the past.
France is amongst at the very least 145 of the 193 UN members that now recognise or plan to recognise a Palestinian state, in line with an AFP tally.
France has lengthy advocated for the so-called “two-state answer” for a Palestinian state to stay in peace side-by-side with an Israeli one.
It has stated its transfer to recognise a Palestinian state goes in opposition to Hamas, which guidelines Gaza and which has excluded a two-state answer.
– Anti-Jewish violence ‘insupportable’ –
In its response to Netanyahu’s antisemitism allegation, the French presidency stated that France “protects and can at all times shield its Jewish residents”.
Macron’s workplace added that the allegation in Netanyahu’s letter “won’t go unanswered”.
“Violence in opposition to the (French) Jewish neighborhood is insupportable,” the French presidency stated.
“That’s the reason, past legal convictions, the president has systematically required all his governments since 2017 — and much more so for the reason that terrorist assaults of October 7, 2023 — to indicate the strongest motion in opposition to perpetrators of antisemitic acts,” it stated.
Macron’s minister for Europe, Benjamin Haddad, individually stated in response to Netanyahu’s letter that France has “no classes to study within the battle in opposition to antisemitism”.
The difficulty “which is poisoning our European societies” should not be “exploited”, Haddad added.
France is residence to Europe’s largest Jewish neighborhood.
Reported antisemitic acts in France surged from 436 in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023, earlier than dipping to 1,570 final 12 months, in line with the inside ministry.
Australia can be set to recognise Palestinian statehood subsequent month, incomes a Netanyahu criticism earlier Tuesday.
The Israeli chief, on his workplace’s official X account, referred to as his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese a “weak politician who betrayed Israel and deserted Australia’s Jews”.
The non-public assault got here amid a diplomatic spat between the 2 nations after the Australian authorities on Monday cancelled the visa of far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman.
Rothman, whose ultranationalist celebration is in Netanyahu’s governing coalition, had been scheduled to talk at occasions organised by the Australian Jewish Affiliation.
Hours after his visa was cancelled, Israel’s International Minister Gideon Saar stated he had revoked the visas of Australia’s representatives to the Palestinian Authority.
In a press release, Australian International Minister Penny Wong stated revoking their visas was an “unjustified response” by Israel and that Netanayahu’s authorities was “isolating Israel and undermining worldwide efforts in direction of peace and a two-state answer”.