France has summoned US ambassador Charles Kushner after his explosive open letter accused Paris of failing to curb anti-Semitic violence. In the piece title “A Letter to Emmanuel Macron,” published by The Wall Street Journal, Kushner blasted France’s criticism of Israel and its push to recognise a Palestinian state, claiming such moves “embolden extremists” and put French Jews at risk. The French Foreign Ministry swiftly rejected his allegations as “unacceptable,” stressing France’s commitment to fighting anti-Semitism while warning Kushner against interfering in domestic affairs. The row comes as France and other Western nations move toward Palestinian state recognition, sparking anger in Israel and Washington. The US State Department, however, stood firmly by Kushner, further straining diplomatic ties between two key transatlantic allies.
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00:00And now from tensions here in Washington to tensions abroad where the relationship between Paris and Washington is becoming increasingly more toxic.
00:10France has summoned the U.S. ambassador after he accused the country of failing to protect its Jewish community.
00:16The remarks have sparked a sharp diplomatic exchange and brought the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into the heart of European politics.
00:24The French foreign ministry summoned U.S. ambassador Charles Kushner after he published a letter criticizing Paris.
00:32In his letter to President Emmanuel Macron, Kushner claimed France was not doing enough to tackle anti-Semitism.
00:38He warned that criticizing Israel while pushing to recognize a Palestinian state emboldens extremists and puts French Jews in danger.
00:47Kushner's intervention came as France and several Western nations prepare to recognize a Palestinian state.
00:53The letter he wrote was published in the Wall Street Journal and said, quote, anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism, plain and simple, end quote.
01:02Public statements haranguing Israel and gestures toward recognition of a Palestinian state emboldened extremists, fuel violence, and endanger Jewish life in France.
01:13In today's world, anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism, plain and simple.
01:18Now, Paris reacted immediately, calling this claim unacceptable.
01:23And the foreign ministry said France is fully committed to combating anti-Semitism.
01:28It also warned that the ambassador's comments breached diplomatic norms by interfering in domestic affairs.
01:34The statement also added that his words undermined trust between allies and did not match the quality of their transatlantic relationship.
01:42The French presidency backed the response, calling for seriousness and responsibility.
01:48France firmly refutes these latest allegations.
01:51The allegations from the ambassador are unacceptable.
01:55Furthermore, they do not live up to the quality of the transatlantic relationship between France and the United States.
02:02The U.S. State Department, however, stood by Kushner's comments.
02:08A spokesman said he represents American interests in France and is doing a great job in that role.
02:14Now, this is not the first time that France has faced such criticism.
02:18In fact, just last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a similar message to President Macron,
02:24linking the move to recognize Palestine with anti-Semitism.
02:28The Alizi Palace shot back, calling the Prime Minister's remarks abject and erroneous.
02:35Rights advocates say Israeli officials and their supporters routinely label criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic
02:41to divert attention from alleged abuses against Palestinians.
02:46They argue that accusations of anti-Semitism are being used to silence the debate around Israel's actions in Gaza.
02:53And on the ground, Israel continues to pound Gaza.
02:56The United Nations Human Rights Office accuses Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war,
03:01systematically displacing residents of the besieged strip and killing dozens every single day.
03:07The risk of starvation is everywhere in Gaza.
03:11This is a direct result of the Israeli government's policy of blocking humanitarian aid.
03:17In the past few weeks, Israeli authorities have only allowed aid to enter in quantities that remain far below what would be required to avert widespread starvation.
03:32Reaching the meager supplies available can be a deadly pursuit.
03:36Now, France has condemned these actions while maintaining trade and security ties with Israel.
03:42Yet the move to recognize Palestine has infuriated both Israel and Washington.
03:47Gaza is now under a U.N.-declared famine and the first of its kind in the Middle East,
03:52threatening almost half a million people with catastrophic hunger.
03:56The controversy has also thrown the spotlight on Charles Kushner, who is Jewish himself.
04:01And he's the father of Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and a former White House advisor.
04:06Now, Kushner was convicted of tax evasion and witness tampering in 2005,
04:11but was pardoned by President Trump during his first term.
04:14This latest clash, however, shows how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is reshaping diplomatic ties far beyond the Middle East,
04:22but also, most importantly, to two of the closest allies in the world, the U.S. and France.
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