France’s push to recognize a Palestinian state has drawn fierce US and Israeli backlash, with critics accusing Macron of fueling antisemitism — even as Paris’s own bloody colonial past in Algeria, Indochina, and New Caledonia shatters its moral credibility.
An open letter in the Wall Street Journal by Charles Kushner, US ambassador to France, has rocked Paris’s political elite. In the blunt piece, Kushner accused President Emmanuel Macron of emboldening antisemitism by attacking Israel and pushing for recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN, even as Jewish communities in France face an “explosion of antisemitic incidents” since Hamas’s October 7th massacre.
Kushner warned: “Many French Jews fear that history will repeat itself in Europe.” The French government responded with fury, summoning him for a dressing-down — a summons he pointedly ignored. Washington doubled down instead, with the US State Department affirming, “We stand by his comments.”
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted Macron’s move as rewarding terror and paving the way for “another Iranian proxy…a launchpad to annihilate Israel.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was equally scathing, calling the recognition plan “a reckless decision that only serves Hamas propaganda.”
Predictably, Hamas cheered Macron’s proposal, hailing it as “a positive step in the right direction” and urging other nations to follow France’s lead — a propaganda coup for the terror group.
Colonial Blood on France’s Hands
For all of Paris’s posturing, critics argue France lacks moral standing to lecture Israel.
- In Algeria (1954–1962), France deployed half a million troops and oversaw systematic torture, executions, and mass displacement, leaving up to 400,000 civilians dead. Macron himself once admitted these were “crimes against humanity” — but later refused to apologize.
- In Indochina (1946–1954), French colonial brutality and repression caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands, with some estimates as high as 800,000 civilians.
- Even today in New Caledonia, Paris clings to its Pacific colony, manipulating demographics, intimidating the indigenous Kanak population, and using military presence to stifle independence movements — all to preserve control of rich nickel reserves.
From North Africa to Southeast Asia to Oceania, France’s colonial reflexes remain alive.
Hypocrisy Laid Bare
Unlike France’s bloody attempts to cling to colonies, Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, leaving self-rule to the Palestinians. Instead of building a prosperous enclave, Hamas transformed Gaza into a fortress of rockets, tunnels, and terror — culminating in the October 7th atrocities.
France’s rush to reward Hamas diplomatically not only emboldens terrorism but risks pouring fuel on antisemitic flames already consuming French society. With such a record, Paris’s claim to moral high ground looks less like leadership and more like dangerous hypocrisy.
