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.
France would join at least 145 UN member states that already recognise or plan to recognise Palestinian statehood.
Israel-France row flares
France’s Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad said on BFM TV that Macron and his government have always been "extremely committed against anti-Semitism."
He stressed: "I’m telling you that this is a matter that should not be instrumentalised… France has no lessons to learn in the fight against anti-Semitism."
The French presidency added that "violence against the Jewish community is intolerable" and highlighted Macron’s instructions to all governments since 2017 to act firmly against antisemitic acts.
The diplomatic clash with France comes as Netanyahu is also escalating tensions with Australia, which is set to recognise Palestine next month.
Earlier on Tuesday, he called Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a "weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews."
Australia’s cancellation of the visa of far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman prompted Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to revoke the visas of Australia’s representatives to the Palestinian Authority.
Canberra condemned the move as an "unjustified reaction."
