2LT International News

WASHINGTON, D.C.: France has summoned the U.S. ambassador to Paris, Charles Kushner, after he accused the French government of not doing enough to combat antisemitism in a letter addressed to President Emmanuel Macron.

In a statement over the weekend, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said the ambassador had been called in to explain himself and that his remarks were “unacceptable.”

The ministry rejected his accusations, stressing that French authorities have been “fully mobilized” against antisemitic acts since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. “These acts are intolerable,” it said, adding that Kushner’s comments violated the principle of non-interference and undermined “the trust that must prevail between allies.”

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, the U.S. State Department defended its envoy. Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Washington stood by Kushner’s letter, noting: “Ambassador Kushner is our U.S. government representative in France and is doing a great job advancing our national interests.”

The letter’s contents have not been made public. But the episode comes amid heightened sensitivities, days after Macron rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that France’s openness to recognizing a Palestinian state was fueling antisemitism.

France hosts the largest Jewish population in Western Europe, estimated at around 500,000 people, roughly one percent of its population. The community has been on edge amid a spike in antisemitic incidents linked to the conflict in Gaza.

The dispute adds to strains between Paris and Washington. Tensions this year have already flared over Trump’s trade war with Europe, disagreements on U.N. peacekeeping in Lebanon—where France opposes U.S. efforts to scale down the UNIFIL mission—and earlier divisions over military aid for Ukraine. Although Trump’s recent meeting with Macron and other European leaders in Washington appeared to ease some friction, the ambassadorial summons risk reigniting discord.

Kushner, a real estate developer and the father of Jared Kushner—Donald Trump’s son-in-law and former White House adviser—was pardoned by Trump at the end of his first term for prior convictions involving tax evasion and illegal campaign donations.

Summoning an ambassador is one of the strongest signals of displeasure in diplomatic practice.