France Summons U.S. Ambassador Over ‘Unacceptable’ Antisemitism Claims

France has summoned U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner to formally protest a public letter he wrote accusing the country of failing to address rising antisemitism — remarks the French government condemned as “unacceptable.”

Kushner, appointed by President Donald Trump and father of Jared Kushner, made the accusations in an open letter published Sunday in The Wall Street Journal, directly addressing French President Emmanuel Macron.

In the letter, Kushner urged Macron to moderate his criticism of Israel and claimed that antisemitism had “long scarred French life,” citing frequent attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions.

“In France, not a day passes without Jews assaulted in the street, synagogues or schools defaced, or Jewish-owned businesses vandalized,” he wrote. “Your own Interior Ministry has reported antisemitic incidents even at preschools.”

Kushner also said he was willing to work with French officials to develop “a serious plan” to combat antisemitism.

France’s Foreign Ministry issued a sharp response, confirming that Kushner has been summoned to the Quai d’Orsay on Monday. A ministry statement described his accusations as a violation of diplomatic norms.

“France firmly rejects these allegations,” the statement read. “The rise in antisemitic acts in France since October 7, 2023, is a reality we deeply regret and are actively combating. Such acts are intolerable.”

The ministry said Kushner’s remarks breached the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which requires diplomats to avoid interfering in the domestic affairs of their host country.

“These comments undermine the quality of the transatlantic partnership and the trust that must prevail between allies,” the statement added.

The diplomatic flare-up follows mounting tensions between Paris and Washington over Middle East policy. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused France of fueling antisemitism by advancing its plan to recognize Palestinian statehood — a claim Macron dismissed as politically motivated.