ISTANBUL
France has launched an investigation into death threats made against President Emmanuel Macron by a French-speaking rabbi, the Interior Ministry confirmed to daily Le Parisien on Friday.
The prosecutor's office confirmed that the investigation has been opened "concerning death threats against the President of the Republic," and has been assigned to the criminal brigade of the Paris judicial police.
"These comments are unacceptable," the Interior Ministry was quoted as saying by the newspaper after French-speaking Rabbi David Daniel Cohen, who reportedly lives in Israel, threatened Macron with death.
"This French president needs to know. He had better prepare his coffin," the rabbi threatened on August 3 in a video posted on the YouTube channel Archives 260, "a channel dedicated to Judaism, Jewish history, and Jewish 'geography.'"
The rabbi accused Macron of proposing to recognize the State of Palestine in September, describing his plan as a "declaration of war against God."
“This man who runs France… has expressed his deep antisemitism through this,” he says in the video.
Beyond the threats against Macron, he also targets the Palestinians by "advising" them to "pack their bags and leave," as they "will not be able to remain on that land no matter what happens."
In July, President Emmanuel Macron confirmed France would officially recognize Palestine at the UN General Assembly set for September.
Early Friday, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to fully occupy Gaza City.
Israel has been facing mounting outrage over its destructive war on Gaza, where more than 61,000 people have been killed since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.