Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Aug 26: Israel has intensified its diplomatic row with Western allies after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused France and Australia of fueling antisemitism by moving ahead with plans to recognize a Palestinian state next month.

In strongly worded letters sent to French President Emmanuel Macron and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Netanyahu said their positions on Gaza and statehood encouraged anti-Israel hatred. “Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on this antisemitic fire. It is not diplomacy, it is appeasement. It rewards Hamas terror,” Netanyahu wrote to Macron.

The French presidency rebuked the claims, stating that France “protects and will always protect its compatriots of the Jewish faith” and called for “seriousness and responsibility, not confusion and manipulation.”

Tensions have also escalated with Australia, after Albanese’s government cancelled the visa of a far-right Israeli politician. Netanyahu called Albanese a “weak politician” and accused him of betraying Israel. Albanese, however, brushed off the remarks, saying he preferred diplomacy over insults.

The spat comes as France, Australia, Canada, Portugal and the UK prepare to recognize Palestine, joining over 140 countries that have already done so. France says the move is aimed at reviving the two-state solution, while Israel and the US warn it could embolden Hamas.

The diplomatic clash further isolates Netanyahu, with leaders such as New Zealand’s Christopher Luxon saying he had “lost the plot” and Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen describing him as “a problem in himself.”