Paris summons Washington's ambassador over 'unacceptable' anti-Semitism accusations

French-American relations have taken a new turn of tension following Paris's summoning of its American ambassador, Charles Kushner, to protest accusations he made against the French authorities of "not making sufficient efforts" to stop anti-Semitic violence.

This sharp diplomatic response from France came after Ambassador Kushner, who is Jewish and whose son is married to the daughter of American President Donald Trump, published an open letter in the "Wall Street Journal" expressing his concern over the "rise of anti-Semitic acts in France," considering that the authorities had not taken sufficient measures to combat it.

An official statement from the French Foreign Ministry quoted it as saying: "France is aware of the claims made by the American ambassador, Mr. Charles Kushner, who expressed in a letter to the President his concern regarding the rise of anti-Semitic acts in France, and pointed out that the French authorities have not taken sufficient measures to combat them."

The French Foreign Ministry strongly commented on these statements, asserting that "the ambassador's claims are unacceptable," and noted that Kushner will appear for the summons on Monday.

Kushner's letter was not isolated but came amid deep disagreements between France on one side and the United States and Israel on the other. In the text of his letter, the American ambassador urged President Emmanuel Macron to apply hate crime laws more urgently and to tone down his criticisms of Israel, raising the banner of linking anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism.

Kushner literally wrote: "Public statements attacking Israel, and gestures towards recognizing a Palestinian state, encourage extremists, fuel violence, and endanger the lives of Jews in France. In today's world, anti-Zionism is simply anti-Semitism."

Macron is considered one of the most prominent international critics of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's approach in the war on Gaza, especially regarding the large number of Palestinian civilian casualties. Kushner's letter follows a similar letter sent by Netanyahu himself to Macron earlier this week, in which he accused him, according to the "Jerusalem Post," of contributing to fueling anti-Semitism by calling for international recognition of a Palestinian state, while Netanyahu's traditional ally, President Donald Trump, continues to firmly support Israel's policies.