French President Emmanuel Macron has sharply rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusation that France’s pledge to recognise a Palestinian state has fuelled antisemitism, calling the claim “abject” and “erroneous.”

The dispute follows Macron’s announcement last month that France will support Palestinian statehood recognition at the UN General Assembly in September, alongside Britain, Canada, and Australia. Israel has strongly opposed the initiative.

In a statement Tuesday evening, Macron’s office dismissed Netanyahu’s remarks: “The analysis that France’s decision to recognise the state of Palestine in September explains the rise in antisemitic violence in France is erroneous, abject, and will not go unanswered. The current period calls for seriousness and responsibility, not generalisation and manipulation.”

Netanyahu, in a letter dated Monday, argued that antisemitism in France had “surged” since Macron’s pledge, claiming the move “pours fuel on this antisemitism fire.” His criticism extended to Australia, where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese brushed off Netanyahu’s remarks after being called a “weak politician who betrayed Israel” for supporting Palestinian recognition.

France, home to Europe’s largest Jewish community of roughly 500,000, has seen a marked rise in antisemitic incidents since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. These include assaults, harassment, and vandalism, sparking alarm among Jewish leaders.

Macron’s office reiterated his record of combating antisemitism, stressing that since 2017, and especially after the October 7 attacks, he has instructed governments to pursue “the strongest possible action” against offenders.

Recent incidents have underscored these concerns. Israeli airline El Al reported anti-Israel graffiti vandalism at its Paris office, and Macron vowed accountability for the destruction of a memorial olive tree planted in honor of a Jewish man murdered in 2006.