Overview

• Benjamin Netanyahu wrote to Emmanuel Macron that antisemitism has surged in France since Macron announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September, calling the move a step that “pours fuel on this antisemitic fire.”
• Macron’s office condemned the accusation as “abject” and “erroneous,” asserted that France protects its Jewish citizens, and said the letter “will not go unanswered.”
• Official data from the French interior ministry show reported antisemitic acts rose from 436 in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023, then dipped to 1,570 the following year.
• Macron’s planned recognition, reported for September at the U.N. General Assembly, would make France the first G7 country to take that step, a move Israel strongly opposes.
• The exchange comes during broader strains over Gaza policy, with Macron criticizing Israel’s conduct, urging an arms embargo, and citing possible humanitarian law breaches, as incidents in France include anti-Israel vandalism at El Al’s Paris office.