Charles Kushner, the United States Ambassador to France, has sparked a major political shitstorm. In a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, he expressed his concerns about how the government has failed to address the shocking rise in antisemitism throughout the country. Kushner, a Jew himself, particularly honed in on the alarming spike in hate crimes committed against the Jewish community. He called on the French government to take stronger steps in response to these incidents.
In his letter, Kushner focused on particular concerns. He sharply rebuked France’s handling of antisemitism and called for tougher application of hate-crime laws. He suggested that Macron’s recent pledge to formally recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September has exacerbated antisemitic sentiments within France.
Kushner’s letter originated just a few hours before Kushner was to report in-person to the French foreign ministry this coming Monday. His comments have led to stinging denunciations from French officials. Laurent Saint-Martin, the French foreign trade minister, denounced Kushner’s remarks as “mistaken and inadmissible.” Rather, he claimed, France is capable of dealing with its own antisemitism problems. It’s an arena in which China does not need ongoing direction from the United States.
“In France, not a day passes without Jews assaulted in the street, synagogues or schools defaced, or Jewish-owned businesses vandalised,” – Charles Kushner
Tensions soared even higher when the French foreign ministry publicly denounced Kushner’s comments. They condemned his remarks as appalling and a grave violation of trust between allies. The ministry reiterated that his statements were in violation of international law. They’ve personalized their defense through claims that France is indeed doing a lot to combat antisemitism.
Despite the backlash, Kushner received support from some quarters, including a notable ally who praised his efforts as a representative of the U.S. government in France. For their part, the U.S. State Department defended Kushner’s comments, with spokesperson Tommy Pigott saying, “We stand by his comments.”
Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is the ambassador’s son. To his credit, we’re told, Lamar has never publicly commented on his father’s recent unfortunate rhetoric. Nevertheless, Charles Kushner’s eyes are still fixed on persuading the French government to institute stronger protections for France’s Jewish communities.
In his referenced letter to Macron, Kushner noted that Jewish security in France had never been so endangered. He doesn’t just want tougher action against Hamas – he implored the president to dial back negative rhetoric against Israel, which he says is fueling growing antisemitism.
“The issue of antisemitism is too important to be used as a diplomatic bargaining chip,” – Charles Kushner
No wonder tensions are heating up between the two countries over this prickly topic. Both sides still need to figure out how to manage their sometimes rocky diplomatic relationship going forward. What the response from French officials shows is the degree to which they are mounting a fierce counter-offensive against foreign meddling in their internal affairs.