France, Aug. 27 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has delivered a forceful riposte to Benjamin Netanyahu, after the Israeli prime minister accused France of fuelling antisemitism through its stance on the recognition of a Palestinian state.

In a letter revealed by Le Monde on Tuesday, the French president said Netanyahu had "offended the whole of France" with his claims of inaction against antisemitism, and warned Israel's leader against a "murderous headlong rush" in Gaza.

"These accusations of inaction in the face of a scourge we fight with all our strength are unacceptable and offensive to France as a whole," Macron wrote. He added that the battle against antisemitism "cannot be a subject of instrumentalisation".

The row was spark...