Macron denounces Netanyahu over antisemitism claims
Shafaq News – Paris
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criticism over antisemitism in France, warning that the issue should not be “weaponised” in political disputes between the two countries.
In a letter published in several newspapers, Macron described the accusations as “unacceptable and an offence to France as a whole,” stressing that Paris was using “everything in our power” to combat antisemitism.
“The fight against antisemitism must not be weaponised and will not fuel any discord between Israel and France,” he added.
The president also tied his response to the Gaza war, urging Netanyahu to end the offensive. “I solemnly appeal to you to end the desperate race of a murderous and illegal permanent war in Gaza, causing indignity for your country and placing your people in a deadlock,” he wrote.
The exchange followed Netanyahu’s mid-August letter accusing Macron of fuelling antisemitism by pledging to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September. “Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on this antisemitic fire. It is not diplomacy, it is appeasement,” Netanyahu argued.
Israel faces mounting pressure from allies and international organizations to halt its campaign in the strip, where more than 62,000 people—mostly women and children—have been killed and over 158,000 injured, according to local health authorities.
