PARIS — France on Monday called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusation that President Emmanuel Macron’s recognition of a Palestinian state fuels antisemitism in the country “abject” and “erroneous.”
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Macron’s office said France “protects and will always protect its Jewish citizens,” adding that Netanyahu’s letter “will not go unanswered.” “This is a time for seriousness and responsibility, not for conflation and manipulation,” the statement added.
“Violence against the [French] Jewish community is intolerable,” the presidency said, noting that since 2017, and especially after the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks, Macron has required successive governments to take strong action against antisemitic acts.
France’s Europe Minister Benjamin Haddad also responded, saying the country has “no lessons to learn in the fight against antisemitism” and warned that the issue “must not be exploited.”
France is home to Europe’s largest Jewish community. Reported antisemitic incidents rose from 436 in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023, before falling slightly to 1,570 last year, according to the interior ministry.
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