France has defended its record on combating antisemitism after Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu accused Emmanuel Macron of emboldening hate attacks against Jews by pledging to recognise a Palestinian state.

"It rewards Hamas terror, hardens Hamas’s refusal to free the hostages, emboldens those who menace French Jews, and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking your streets. " Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned French President Emmanuel Macron that his recent statements about recognizing a Palestinian state have fueled antisemitism in France and emboldened Hamas in a strongly worded letter.