France summons US envoy over antisemitism accusations

Paris, Aug 26 (IANS) The French foreign ministry summoned US Ambassador to France Charles Kushner following his accusations that France was not doing enough to combat antisemitism.

However, according to French television channel TV5 Monde, it was the charge d'affaires of the US Embassy in Paris who met with officials at the French foreign ministry on Monday, as Kushner was not in Paris.

The charge d'affaires was informed that Kushner's remarks "constituted interference in France's internal affairs and presented an assessment that did not reflect reality," TV5 Monde reported, citing a diplomatic source.

Kushner, who is Jewish and whose son is married to US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka, made the comments in an open letter to French President Emmanuel Macron in the Wall Street Journal.

In his letter, the ambassador called on Macron to tone down his criticism of Israel and outlined examples of antisemitism which he said had "long scarred French life".

The French foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday evening that Kushner had recently expressed concern about the rise of antisemitism in France in a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron and accused the government of not taking sufficient action to address it. The ministry said it firmly refuted the accusations, Xinhua news agency reported.

"They violate international law, particularly the obligation not to interfere in the internal affairs of states, as provided for in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," the ministry said.

--IANS

int/rs