Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of “fueling the anti-Semitic fire” in France by calling for international recognition of the State of Palestine, according to an official letter to the French head of state.

"I call on you to replace weakness with action, appeasement with will, and to do so before a clear date: the Jewish New Year, September 23, 2025," continues the letter signed by Mr. Netanyahu, dated August 17, and sent to AFP on Tuesday.

“I am concerned by the alarming rise of anti-Semitism in France and the lack of decisive action by your government to address it. In recent years, anti-Semitism has ravaged French cities,” Netanyahu wrote. “Since your public statements attacking Israel and signaling recognition of a Palestinian state, it has increased,” he said.

“Following Hamas's savage attack on the Israeli people on October 7, 2023, pro-Hamas extremists and left-wing radicals launched a campaign of intimidation, vandalism, and violence against Jews across Europe,” a campaign that “has intensified in France” under Mr. Macron, the Israeli Prime Minister believes.

“It promotes hatred of Jews”

He lists several recent incidents, including the vandalism of the entrance to the El Al airline offices in Paris, the assault of a Jewish man in Livry-Gargan, and rabbis “attacked in the streets of Paris.” “These incidents are not isolated. They constitute a plague.”

“Your call for a Palestinian state fuels this anti-Semitic fire. (...) It rewards Hamas’s terror, reinforces their refusal to release the hostages, encourages those who threaten French Jews, and fosters the hatred of Jews that now prowls your streets,” Mr. Netanyahu continued.

Donald Trump adored

As a counter-example, he praises US President Donald Trump for his "fight" against anti-Semitic crimes and for "protecting American Jews." "President Macron, anti-Semitism is a cancer. It spreads when leaders remain silent. It recedes when leaders act. I call on you to replace weakness with action, appeasement with will, and to do so before a clear date: the Jewish New Year, September 23, 2025," the Israeli Prime Minister concluded.

The war in the Gaza Strip, triggered by the unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, has rekindled international pressure to recognize the State of Palestine.

France, through President Macron, announced at the end of May that it would recognize the State of Palestine next September, during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

France reacts

The French presidency on Tuesday denounced as "erroneous and abject" the accusation by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Emmanuel Macron's desire to recognize the Palestinian state fueled anti-Semitism.

The letter from the head of the Israeli government "will not go unanswered," added the Élysée, which also affirmed that "the Republic protects and will always protect its compatriots of Jewish faith." "This period demands seriousness and responsibility, not amalgamations and manipulations," the Élysée added.

The Élysée Palace claims that Emmanuel Macron learned of the contents of this letter through the press, but that he will also respond by letter.

"The analysis that France's decision to recognize the State of Palestine in September explains the rise in anti-Semitic violence in France is erroneous, abject, and will not remain unanswered," the presidency said.

“Violence against the Jewish community is unacceptable. This is why, beyond condemnations, the Head of State has systematically asked all his governments since 2017, and even more so after the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, for the greatest firmness towards the perpetrators of anti-Semitic acts,” the Élysée added.