American ambassador Charles Kushner has been summoned by France following a letter he penned to French President Emmanuel Macron. In this letter, Kushner alleges that France has not done enough to combat antisemitism. France’s Foreign Ministry has declared these allegations unacceptable, leading to the summoning of Kushner.
The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs initially responded with silence when asked for comment. The summoning of an ambassador is a formal gesture, signaling public disapproval. Additionally, Charles Kushner, a figure known in the realms of real estate and as the father of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was the one to spark this diplomatic rift.
The French Foreign Ministry firmly rejected these allegations made by Kushner. French authorities, according to their statement, have been fully mobilized in the fight against a rise in antisemitic acts since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel. They label these acts as intolerable. Yet, the contents of Kushner’s original letter remain undisclosed.
France contends that Kushner’s allegations violate international law, as well as the obligation to abstain from meddling with another country’s internal affairs. The French Ministry also suggests that such allegations are not conducive to the quality of the transatlantic partnership between France and the United States, nor to the trust that should prevail between allies.
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French President Macron rejected accusations from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that France’s intention to recognize a Palestinian state contributes to antisemitism. With an estimated 500,000 Jews, France is home to the largest Jewish population in Western Europe, approximately 1% of the nation’s overall population.
The significance becomes clear when we consider the backdrop of strained French-U.S. relations this year, due in part to Trump’s trade war and differing views on the future of U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon. France has notably resisted the U.S. push to wind down the UNIFIL peacekeeping operation, with a U.N. Security Council vote looming at the end of this month.
Despite divisions over Ukraine’s war with Russia, there’s been a recent thaw in tensions, with Trump expressing support for security guarantees and participating in a cordial meeting with Macron and other European leaders at the White House last week. Yet, the past actions of Charles Kushner, pardoned by Trump after pleading guilty to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations, may color this unfolding diplomatic situation.
Kushner’s son, Jared, married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka, was a former White House senior adviser to Trump. The diplomatic discord between these two nations continues to evolve, and it’s essential to stay informed.