Ivanka Trump’s father-in-law is in a diplomatic spat with Emmanuel Macron regarding France’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism.
U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner wrote a letter to the French president urging him to step up his efforts to fight anti-Semitism amid the Hamas-Israel war.
Ambassador Kushner is the father of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. He is a practicing member of the Jewish faith, along with his son and daughter-in-law Ivanka.
‘Public statements haranguing Israel and gestures toward recognition of a Palestinian state embolden extremists, fuel violence and endanger Jewish life in France,’ the American diplomat wrote to Macron on Sunday evening.
Kushner tells Macron ‘to act decisively: enforce hate-crime laws without exception, ensure the safety of Jewish schools, synagogues and businesses … and abandon steps that give legitimacy to Hamas and its allies.’
In response, the French government has summoned Kushner to Paris and released a statement calling his allegations ‘unacceptable’ and ‘inflammatory.’
Meanwhile, the State Department is standing strongly behind the ambassador.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, a State Department spokesperson said Kushner ‘is doing a great job advancing our national interests in that role.’
The Daily Mail reached out to the White House for comment.
France’s foreign ministry claimed Kushner’s letter violated international law while interfering in the country’s internal affairs.
‘They also fall short of the quality of the transatlantic partnership between France and the United States and of the trust that must prevail between allies,’ the ministry said.
Macron’s government claims it is ‘fully mobilized’ against the rise of antisemitism since the start of the Israel-Hamas war two years ago.
Last month, the French government announced plans to recognize the statehood of Palestine, following alongside other western allies such as and Canada.
Moreover, Macron criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over ‘erroneous’ accusations that the French government is fueling antisemitism.
France hosts the largest Jewish populatio. in Europe, representing 1 percent of its total national population.
The country is also home to the third-largest Jewish population in the world with approximately 500,000 Jewish citizens.
The latest diplomatic crisis with Kushner highlights how French-US relations have strained over America’s support for Israel.
Previously, Kushner pleaded guilty to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations, but was pardoned by Trump.
His son, Jared, served as a senior adviser in Trump’s White House and was viewed as a major part of the president’s inner circle during his first term.