Emmanuel Macron condemns anti-Zionism as new form of antisemitism

Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, has condemned anti-Zionism as a new form of antisemitism, in what has been described as an unprecedented statement in support of Israel.

Mr Macron, who was elected in May, said today: “We will never surrender to the messages of hate. We will not surrender to anti-Zionism because it is a re-invention of antisemitism.”

Macron was speaking at an event in Paris marking the mass deportation of French Jews during the Second World War. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, was also in attendance.

Mr Macron, like several of his predecessors, accepted France’s responsibility in the Vel d’Hiv operation, which saw more than 13,000 French Jews arrested in July 1942. He said the Vichy Government organised the round-up.