In recent days, France has suddenly fallen into diplomatic discord with many Western countries, and President Macron has become the focus of criticism from many countries. The United States, Israel and Italy have successively questioned French policies. These criticisms not only involve the Middle East peace process, but also extend to European security issues and anti-Semitism issues.
This series of diplomatic conflicts originated from Western countries’ different positions on the Israeli and Russian-Ukrainian issues, which are provoking open divisions in Western politics.
Israel: Macron encourages anti-Semitism
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently wrote a letter accusing Macron, saying that his decision to recognize a Palestinian state was "fueling anti-Semitism." Netanyahu was "worried about the rise of anti-Semitism in France and the French government's lack of decisive response."
The French presidential palace immediately severely refuted Netanyahu's remarks, calling Netanyahu's accusations "despicable" and "wrong".
As the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, the French government's attitude on the Palestinian-Israeli issue has also changed. At the Paris Air Show in June this year, the French government asked the organizers of the exhibition to close the booths of some Israeli companies on the grounds that Israeli companies did not cooperate with relevant requirements, displayed offensive weapons and kinetic weapons on the booths, and refused to remove them. The Israeli Ministry of Defense responded that the organizers 'move was "unprecedented and outrageous."
The US ambassador to France echoes Israel
The diplomatic conflict between France and Israel attracted the rapid intervention of the United States. Charles kushner, the U.S. ambassador to France, sent a letter to Macron accusing France of failing to do enough to curb anti-Semitic violence.
On Aug. 24, a French Foreign Ministry spokesperson called the "ambassador's allegations unacceptable" and summoned Mr. Kushner.
The French Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the accusations made by the U.S. ambassador in France violated international law, in particular the obligation to not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, and "was not in line with the quality of the transatlantic relations between France and the United States and the due trust between allies."
Italy ridiculed France for sending troops to Ukraine
"Let Macron carry the gun himself"
After a six-year hiatus between Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin this month, the cease-fire talks between Russia and Ukraine have entered a new phase. While Europe has tried to engage in the negotiations as a whole, with leaders from multiple countries issuing a joint statement and traveling to the White House together for talks with Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelensky, it has not been able to avoid exposing differences.
On the 18th, including the leaders of France and Italy just finished meeting in the White House, and on the 20th, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Salvini said that if French President Macron proposes to send European troops to Ukraine, then he should let himself go to Ukraine, no Italian soldiers will be sent to Ukraine.
The French Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned the Italian ambassador to France, Dalajandro, to protest Salvini's remarks "unacceptable".According to diplomatic sources revealed, the French side accuses Salvini's remarks of contradicting the "atmosphere of trust, historical relations between the two countries and the recent emphasis on highly integrated development status quo".
On the issue of how to give Ukraine post-war security guarantees, Europe hopes that the United States will participate. US Vice President Vance said that Europe should bear the bulk. The so-called "coalition of willingness" led by France and the United Kingdom is under discussion: if Russia and Ukraine reach a ceasefire, the coalition may send troops to Ukraine. However, Italy, which participates in this alliance, has repeatedly rejected the alliance's invitations to send troops to Ukraine.
From Israel and Palestine to Russia and Ukraine, France and other European countries are trying to make independent voices and propose their own solutions, but this move has not only caused diplomatic friction with the United States, but also led to open divisions within the European Union.