France, Aug. 27 -- In a letter to the Israeli prime minister published on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron has rejectedBenjamin Netanyahu's accusation that France isfuelling anti-Semitism through its planned recognition of the Palestinian state.

In the letter,published by French newspaper Le Monde, Macron said Netanyahu's claims of French inaction against anti-Semitism were "unacceptable and offensive to France as a whole", and warned Israel's leader against a "murderous headlong rush" in Gaza.

He added that: "The fight against anti-Semitism must not be exploited for political ends."

The row was sparked when Netanyahu wrote to Macron on 17 August, expressing his concern over "the alarming rise of anti-Semitism in France" and a...