Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
French authorities have opened a formal investigation into inflammatory remarks made by Israeli rabbi Daniel David Cohen, who appeared to threaten French President Emmanuel Macron with death over his proposed recognition of a Palestinian state. The probe was launched on Friday after a video containing the threats circulated online.
In the 37-minute video, posted on YouTube and spoken in French, Cohen harshly criticized Macron’s anticipated diplomatic move, accusing him of betraying Jewish interests and threatening divine retribution. “This French president should know it’s in his best interest to prepare his coffin,” the rabbi said. “God will show him what it means to be this insolent and to make such statements against the divine.”
The remarks triggered immediate backlash in France. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau condemned the video as “absolutely unacceptable” in a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), confirming he had referred the matter to the judiciary for criminal action. The Paris Prosecutor’s Office confirmed it is now investigating the case under charges of “death threats against the President of the Republic.”
The investigation is being handled by the criminal investigations unit of the Paris judicial police. According to authorities, the alert was raised both through official government channels and by a specialized online platform dedicated to identifying hate and incitement to violence on the internet.
Cohen, who appears to reside in Israel, does not hold any formal religious office in France. France’s Chief Rabbi Haïm Korsia swiftly distanced the country’s Jewish institutions from the controversial figure. In a strongly worded statement, Korsia denounced the rabbi’s comments as “vile and unacceptable,” clarifying that Cohen has never served in any official rabbinical capacity in France nor received formal training from the French rabbinical seminary.
The controversy erupted in the context of France’s expected recognition of Palestinian statehood, a move that has sparked political debate both within France and abroad. President Macron has signaled that such recognition could come as early as September, framing it as a step toward reviving the stalled two-state solution.
While supported by many in the international community, the proposal has been met with fierce opposition from pro-Israel groups, and now, apparently, from extremist religious voices. Cohen’s video stands as one of the most extreme reactions so far, escalating an already tense discourse into potentially criminal territory.
French officials have reiterated their commitment to freedom of speech while drawing a firm line at incitement to violence, particularly against state leaders. The case is likely to be closely watched both in France and in Israel, as authorities determine whether Cohen’s statements fall under protected expression or constitute a prosecutable threat.
The incident also adds a layer of complexity to France’s foreign policy maneuvering in the Middle East, as Macron seeks to balance international diplomacy with domestic political sensitivities.
