France has hit back after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused President Emmanuel Macron of fuelling anti-Semitism by announcing that France will recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations in September.
The French presidency on Tuesday called Netanyahu’s allegation “abject” and “erroneous,” saying: “This is a time for seriousness and responsibility, not for conflation and manipulation.”
Netanyahu’s accusation was laid out in a letter to Macron, which claimed anti-Semitism had “surged” in France following his announcement.
“Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on this anti-Semitic 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.
Macron confirmed in July that France would formally recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly.
RelatedTRT Global – France to recognise State of Palestine at UN in September, says Macron
France would join at least 145 UN member states that already recognise or plan to recognise Palestinian statehood.
Israel-France row flares