Paris condemns Charles Kushner’s letter accusing France of failing to tackle antisemitism as 'unacceptable’
France said Sunday that it has summoned US Ambassador Charles Kushner after condemning as "unacceptable" his remarks accusing the country of failing to confront growing antisemitism.
Kushner, who is Jewish and the father of Jared Kushner, who is married to US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, expressed the criticism in an open letter published Sunday in The Wall Street Journal to French President Emmanuel Macron.
In his letter, the ambassador urged Macron to ease his criticism of Israel and highlighted examples of antisemitism that he said had "long scarred French life."
"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."
He further expressed his willingness to cooperate with Macron and other French officials to "forge a serious plan" to address the problem.
In a statement, France's Foreign Ministry said it had summoned Kushner to appear Monday at its headquarters in Paris, stressing that his allegations are “unacceptable."
The statement, obtained by CBS News, said: "France firmly rejects these allegations...The rise in antisemitic acts in France since October 7, 2023, is a reality we deeply regret and against which the French authorities are fully mobilized, as such acts are intolerable."
The ministry added that Kushner's allegations "run counter to international law," pointing to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and its "obligation not to interfere in the internal affairs of states."
"They also fall short of the quality of the transatlantic partnership between France and the United States and of the trust that must prevail between allies," the statement said.
The dispute comes after Macron dismissed accusations last week by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that France’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state is contributing to antisemitism.
