France on Tuesday pushed back against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s letter to President Emmanuel Macron, stating that the country has “no lessons to learn in the fight against antisemitism.”
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Letter To Macron
Netanyahu’s letter came after Macron announced his decision to formally recognise a Palestinian state, which the Israeli leader claimed had led to a surge in antisemitism across France.
“Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on this antisemitic fire. 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,” Netanyahu wrote.
He further urged Macron to take decisive action against antisemitism in France, insisting that the French President “replace weakness with action, appeasement with resolve, and to do so by a clear date: the Jewish New Year, September 23.”
France Responds Firmly To Netanyahu’s Letter
Benjamin Haddad, France’s Minister for Europe, responded to Netanyahu’s letter, asserting that France does not need lessons on combating antisemitism.
“I would like to say very clearly and very firmly that this issue of antisemitism, which is poisoning our European societies… cannot be exploited,” Haddad told broadcaster BFMTV.
Macron’s Palestinian Recognition Plan
On July 24, Macron announced that France would formally recognise the State of Palestine during the United Nations General Assembly in September. “In keeping with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine,” he said.
According to AFP, France is among at least 145 of the 193 UN member states that now recognise or have moved to recognise the Palestinian state.
Australia Joins Countries To Recognize Palestine
Earlier this month, Australia also joined the list of countries recognising Palestine, alongside France, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
Netanyahu criticised Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, calling him a “weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews,” according to a post by the Israeli PM’s office on X.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
