Israel-France row flares over Macron's move to recognise Palestinian state

PARIS - A row between Israel and France over Paris's plan to recognise a Palestinian state next month escalated to crisis level on Tuesday when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused President Emmanuel Macron of fomenting "antisemitism".

The Elysee hit back, calling Netanyahu's allegation "abject" and "erroneous".

"This is a time for seriousness and responsibility, not for conflation and manipulation," the French presidency added.

Netanyahu's accusation was sent in a letter addressed to Macron, seen by AFP, which said that antisemitism had "surged" in France following the French president's announcement last month that he will recognise Palestinian statehood.

Macron said France would formally recognise a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September - a move that at the time drew a swift rebuke from Israel.

In his letter, Netanyahu said to Macron: "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."

By announcing the move to recognise statehood for Palestinians, France is set to join a list of nations that has grown since the start of the Gaza war nearly two years ago.

France is among at least 145 of the 193 UN members that now recognise or plan to recognise a Palestinian state, according to an AFP tally.

France has long advocated for the so-called "two-state solution".

It has said its move to recognise a Palestinian state goes against Hamas, which rules Gaza and has excluded a two-state solution.

In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry condemned Netanyahu's remarks, calling them "unjustified and hostile to peace".

"The old record of confusing criticism of the Israeli occupation and its crimes or support for the Palestinian people's rights to freedom and independence with antisemitism... has become cracked and exposed, and no one is fooled," the ministry said.

ANTI-JEWISH VIOLENCE 'INTOLERABLE'

In its response to Netanyahu's antisemitism allegation, the French presidency said that France "protects and will always protect its Jewish citizens".

"Violence against the [French] Jewish community is intolerable," it added.

"That is why, beyond criminal convictions, the president has systematically required all his governments since 2017 - and even more so since the terrorist attacks of 7 October 2023 - to show the strongest action against perpetrators of antisemitic acts," it said.

Macron's office added that the allegation in Netanyahu's letter "will not go unanswered".

Macron's minister for Europe, Benjamin Haddad, separately said that France has "no lessons to learn in the fight against antisemitism".

The issue "which is poisoning our European societies" must not be "exploited", Haddad added.

France is home to Europe's biggest Jewish community.

Reported antisemitic acts in France surged from 436 in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023, before dipping to 1,570 last year, according to the interior ministry.

Netanyahu on Tuesday also criticised Australia, which has similarly said it plans to recognise Palestinian statehood next month.

The Israeli leader, on his office's official X account, called his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, a "weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews".

The personal attack came amid a diplomatic spat between the two countries after the Australian government on Monday cancelled the visa of far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman.

Hours later, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he had revoked the visas of Australia's representatives to the Palestinian Authority.