Macron Riles Netanyahu with Sharp Comment on Israel’s Founding

French President Emmanuel Macron has added further strain to the already tense relations with Israel through a recent comment regarding the founding of the Israeli state. This remark, quickly criticized by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was seen as a distortion of historical facts.

Macron, aiming to take a firmer stance on Middle East conflicts following Israel’s offensive in Lebanon, a former French protectorate, stated that halting the export of weapons used by Israel in Lebanon and Gaza was the only way to end the ongoing conflicts. France, which has the largest Jewish population in Europe, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, while also increasingly condemning Israel for the civilian casualties in these areas.

Paris has also expressed outrage over Israeli attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which includes 700 French troops. In another sign of escalating tensions, organizers of the upcoming Euronaval defense show in Paris announced that, following a French government decision, Israeli exhibits and stands would be excluded from the event.

 

Macron’s Controversial Remarks

During a closed-door meeting at the Elysee Palace, Macron stated, “Mr. Netanyahu must not forget that his country was created by a decision of the U.N.,” referencing the 1947 U.N. General Assembly resolution to partition Palestine into a Jewish and an Arab state. He added that this is not the time to disregard U.N. decisions. These comments were shared by two meeting participants who spoke anonymously to AFP.

Netanyahu responded to Macron’s statement, asserting that Israel’s establishment was a result of victory in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, not a U.N. resolution. He also highlighted the contribution of Holocaust survivors, including French Jews, who fought for Israel’s independence after surviving Nazi occupation and persecution during World War II.

“A reminder to the president of France: It was not the U.N. resolution that established the State of Israel, but rather the victory achieved in the war of independence with the blood of heroic fighters, many of whom were Holocaust survivors — including from the Vichy regime in France,” Netanyahu said.

 

Tense Phone Call

The tense nature of the exchange between the two leaders was evident in a late-night summary of their phone call released by the French presidency. Macron condemned “indiscriminate Israeli strikes that only add to an already intolerable human toll, in Gaza as in Lebanon,” further highlighting the strained relations.

 

Concerns Within the Jewish Community

Macron’s remarks also sparked unease within France’s Jewish community. Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF), warned that Macron’s comments “dangerously strengthen the camp of those who question Israel’s right to exist.”

Caroline Yadan, an MP from Macron’s party, expressed concern, asking, “What does this statement imply? That what the U.N. has done, the U.N. can undo? Is this a warning?”

The French left-leaning newspaper *Liberation* remarked that Macron’s comments have caused uncertainty and division among his supporters, noting that the president’s words have “sown trouble in the macronie.”