France Summons U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner Over Letter Accusing Macron of Failing to Tackle Antisemitism

France’s foreign ministry on Sunday summoned U.S. Ambassador to Paris Charles Kushner after he wrote a letter to President Emmanuel Macron warning of “rising antisemitism” in the country — remarks Paris called “unacceptable.”

In a statement, the ministry said French authorities are “fully mobilised” to combat antisemitic acts since Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel and reject Kushner’s allegations outright.

“These remarks also fall short of the quality of the transatlantic partnership between France and the United States and of the trust that must prevail between allies,” the ministry added, stressing that the ambassador’s intervention amounted to interference in domestic affairs.

While the exact contents of Kushner’s letter have not been made public, reports suggest he accused France of failing to do enough to fight antisemitism. Kushner, the father of Jared Kushner — Donald Trump’s son-in-law — was formally summoned to the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in a diplomatic notice of displeasure.

The controversy follows a similar dispute earlier this summer, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote to Macron claiming antisemitism had surged in France after his announcement that Paris would seek recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN in September. Netanyahu accused Macron of “appeasement” and “fueling Jew-hatred,” sparking a sharp rebuttal from French officials.

French Minister for Europe Benjamin Haddad reiterated at the time: “France has no lessons to learn in the fight against antisemitism.”