Overview

• Paris called in Ambassador Charles Kushner to the Quai d’Orsay on August 25, branding his accusations as unacceptable and an intrusion into internal affairs under the 1961 Vienna Convention.
• In a letter reported over the weekend, Kushner alleged an absence of sufficient action against rising antisemitism, equated anti‑Zionism with antisemitism, and argued that moves toward recognizing a Palestinian state embolden extremists.
• The French government firmly rejected the claims, saying authorities are fully mobilized against antisemitic acts that surged after October 7, 2023.
• Interior Ministry figures cited by French media report 646 antisemitic acts from January to June 2025, a 27.5% decrease from the same period in 2024 but sharply higher than in 2023.
• The dispute unfolds ahead of September’s UN General Assembly, where France has announced it will recognize a Palestinian state, a step criticized by Israel and referenced in Kushner’s letter.