(MENAFN) France has opened a criminal investigation into death threats reportedly made against President Emmanuel Macron by a rabbi critical of his plan to recognize Palestinian statehood, Le Parisien reported Friday. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed the probe after a video surfaced showing a French-speaking rabbi, believed to reside in Israel, angrily attacking Macron.

In the now-removed YouTube video, the man identified as Rabbi David Daniel Cohen accused Macron of rewriting history by intending to recognize Palestine, calling it a “declaration of war against God” and labeling the move as deeply antisemitic. He warned Macron to “prepare his coffin.”

France’s leading Jewish religious authority condemned the rabbi’s statements as “abject and intolerable.”

Last month, Macron announced that France would formally recognize Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, calling it a “historic commitment to a just and lasting peace.” The decision faced criticism from Israel and the US, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared the UK would also recognize Palestine unless Israel changes its course in Gaza. Fifteen other nations issued a joint statement supporting a two-state solution as the only path to peace.

As of March, 147 UN member states, including Russia, officially recognize Palestine. Russia’s position dates back to the Soviet Union’s 1988 recognition of Palestinian independence and continues to support a two-state resolution.

The current conflict began in 2023 when Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 and taking 250 hostages. Israeli military actions since have resulted in at least 60,000 deaths, mostly civilians, over 21 months, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Meanwhile, Israel recently approved plans to seize Gaza City, a move that could lead to full control of the enclave despite concerns over hostages and further escalation.

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