Citing Former French Parliament Member Meyer Habib, the report stated that Netanyahu signaled to Macron that he would only be welcome once he retracted his intention to declare his formal recognition of a Palestinian state. Macron was said to have rejected this demand.
Relations between the two countries have been tense for some time, as France has sharply criticized Israel’s conduct in the war against Hamas.
However, relations rapidly deteriorated further once France declared its intention to recognize a Palestinian state, calling on other nations to follow suit and declare their recognition at a conference France organizes with Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22.
Against this backdrop, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and his French counterpart, Jean-Noël Barrot, sparred on 𝕏 before holding a phone call on Thursday.
During the call, Sa’ar urged Barrot to reconsider France’s initiative, emphasizing that it “undermines stability in the Middle East and harms Israel’s national and security interests,” according to his office.
“Regarding the possibility of President Macron visiting Israel, Minister Sa’ar told his counterpart that as long as France persists with this initiative and its harmful efforts toward Israel's interests – such a visit would be inappropriate.”
Sa’ar also told Barrot not to rely on commitments made by Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas in a letter to Macron, describing Abbas as an unreliable partner who has “very little public support,” and noting that it was the reason no elections had been held in the PA for over 20 years.
The foreign minister concluded, “Israel aspires to maintain good relations with France, but that France must respect Israel’s position when it comes to matters crucial to its security and future. He emphasized that France has recently taken a series of anti-Israel actions and positions.”
First, Sa’ar slammed Macron for being “very interested” in securing U.S. visas for Palestinian Authority officials, noting sarcastically that this was “what keeps him awake at night.”
“He does not protest against the rampant incitement in the Palestinian education system against Israel and Jews. He also does not object to the payments transferred by the Palestinian Authority to terrorists and their families under the ‘pay-for-slay’ method,” Sa’ar charged
He added that Macron is trying to intervene “in a conflict to which he is not a party, in a manner completely disconnected from the reality on the ground,” saying his actions were “dangerous” and would “not bring peace nor security.”
1 comment:
Macron is desperate for attention or his husband pushes him to get involved in everything.
Post a Comment