The French presidency on Tuesday condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements linking Emmanuel Macron’s desire to recognize a Palestinian state to anti-Semitism.
The Élysée added that Netanyahu’s letter “will not go unanswered,” stressing that “the Republic protects and will always protect its Jewish citizens. We are going through a period that requires seriousness and responsibility, not obfuscation and manipulation.”
In an official letter to the French president, Netanyahu wrote that his intention to recognize the State of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly is fanning the “fire of anti-Semitism.”
In the letter, Netanyahu argued that anti-Semitism had “risen dramatically” in France following Macron’s announcement.
He added, “Your call to recognize a Palestinian state only adds fuel to the fire of anti-Semitism. This is not diplomacy, it is appeasement. It rewards Hamas terrorism, strengthens Hamas’s resolve not to release the detainees, emboldens those who threaten French Jews, and fuels the hatred now raging in your streets against Jews.”
The Élysée confirmed that Macron learned of the content of this letter through the press but will also respond with a letter.
The French presidency said in a statement that linking France’s decision to recognize the State of Palestine in September to the incitement of anti-Semitic violence is “erroneous, abject and will not go unanswered.”
The statement added that, “Violence against the Jewish community is unacceptable. Therefore, beyond condemnations, the President of the Republic has systematically called on all his governments since 2017, particularly after the October 7, 2023 attacks (launched by Hamas on Israel), to take the utmost firmness against the perpetrators of anti-Semitic acts.”
Earlier on Tuesday, French Minister Delegate for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad stressed that France, “does not need lessons in combating anti-Semitism.”
