French President Francois Hollande paid tribute to his Bulgarian counterpart Rossen Plevneliev’s participation in a UNESCO Holocaust memorial event Monday at a meeting of the two leaders in Paris, as they sought to recommit to bilateral relations across economic, energy and infrastructure fields.

International human rights watchdog, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, has called on the French government to call a state of emergency due to the threat posed by terrorist groups to the country’s Jewish community, which is the largest in Europe.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for the French military action in Mali against al-Qaeda linked Islamist groups, during a phone conversation on Thursday with French President Francois Hollande.

The United States have objected  to France’s release of a Lebanese terrorist, saying he may still be a threat a quarter century after he was convicted of killing an American and an Israeli diplomat on French soil.

Microblogging site Twitter has appeared before a court in Paris as a French student organisation demanded the social network reveal the identities of users posting anti-Semitic messages so they could be prosecuted under French law.

French President Francois Hollande used his official New Year’s address to declare “France is true to itself when it defends its values in the world”, as he implied criticism of Israel’s ongoing settlement expansion policy, which French foreign minister Laurent Fabius has repeatedly equated to “colonialism” in recent weeks.

Following staunch opposition from Israel’s traditionally close allies over the decision to approve 3,000 new homes in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, the Israeli ambassador to France has defended his country’s actions.

French police have arrested two people in connection with the attacks by extremist gunman Mohamed Merah, whose shooting spree in and around the southern city Toulouse left seven people dead.

Israel's ambassador to Britain, Daniel Taub, was summoned to the Foreign Office on Monday to discuss plans for new home construction in the settlements, officials said, warning of "strong reaction" to the proposals.

After France, Spain said Wednesday it will back a Palestinian bid for enhanced UN status at the body’s General Assembly on Thursday.