Israel issued a sharp rebuke on Tuesday against French President Emmanuel Macron following his address to the United Nations General Assembly, where he criticized Israeli military operations in the West Bank. The comment came during Macron’s final speech as president at the annual diplomatic gathering.
Macron expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the site of the October 7, 2023 attacks led by Hamas, and highlighted daily violations in the West Bank. He specifically noted that “Hamas has never struck in the West Bank,” a region captured by Israel in 1967 and currently partially administered by the Palestinian Authority.
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded forcefully, describing Macron’s assertion as exhibiting “grotesque absurdity.” In a statement, Netanyahu’s office emphasized that Hamas militants carry out attacks against Israeli civilians in the area—also known by its Biblical name, Judea and Samaria—on nearly a daily basis.
Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver a speech to the UN on Thursday. His office cited the killing of Netanel Shukrun, an Israeli settler and father of six who held dual French citizenship, as evidence contradicting Macron’s claims. Shukrun was shot dead on Sunday, coinciding with the eve of Yom Kippur. Israeli authorities reported arresting the suspect at a hospital and subsequently raiding his village. A minister in the current government has called for the gunman’s execution under new legislation.
Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, also condemned the French president’s remarks. Writing on X on Wednesday, Huckabee stated it was difficult to imagine a speech more disconnected from reality than Macron’s, adding that Hamas is responsible for killing innocent American citizens.
During his address, Macron urged nations to uphold international law and recommit to the UN system. He criticized the lack of progress in Gaza, stating, “What is our credibility worth if we remain inactive on Gaza?” He argued that the situation in the West Bank makes it increasingly difficult to respect the Palestinian people’s right to exist.
Tensions between Paris and Jerusalem have persisted. France recently joined Britain in sanctioning products originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, a move that angered the Israeli government. These actions follow a disagreement at last year’s UN General Assembly, where Macron led Western efforts to recognize a Palestinian state, a stance that contrasted with Netanyahu’s position.
France sanctioning settlement products while Israel calls Western leaders detached? The diplomatic rift is widening significantly.
Two fathers of six killed on opposite sides. This cycle of violence is terrifying and neither leader seems willing to blink first.
Wait, did Macron imply Hamas isn’t a threat in the West Bank at all? That feels like a huge oversight given the recent killing of an Israeli father.
Macron’s stats seem outdated if Israeli officials are citing daily suicide bombings there now. Facts matter in diplomacy.
I didn’t know Hamas was operating in the West Bank. The daily attacks detail is shocking and changes the context entirely.