Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been offended by the recent call by French President Emmanuel Macron that there should be a stop in arms deliveries to the nation. He termed the position as having no place for Israel’s defense efforts in Gaza. Macron advocated for a political solution, stating in a France Inter radio interview that “The priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza”. He reiterates his views on the issue at the Paris summit, raising questions over the Israeli regime’s intentions in regard to its actions in Lebanon.
Netanyahu reacted harshly, saying such arms embargo proposals by Macron and other western leaders were “a shame,” and in any case, Israel will be fine without them. “Shame on them,” Netanyahu said, arguing that it is equivalent to advocating for Iran and its proxies.
During the same interview, Macron reacted to a criticism about France’s supplying weapons to Israel by pointing out that it does not currently supply weapons to Israel, and then stated his opinion on the question as “that war brought a kind of hatred” and threatened the safety of Israel. He emphasized the need to guard against escalation in Lebanon as “Lebanon cannot turn into a new Gaza,” and continued to emphasize the need to prevent another iteration of what had happened.
Macron reiterated Israel’s right of self-defense but was highly critical of Netanyahu’s ground offensive in Lebanon and said he regretted the choices the Israeli leader has made. The Office of Netanyahu responded by saying that countries that do not stand with Israel are effectively standing with Iran. Macron’s Office defended France’s long-standing tradition of being pro-Israel by saying Netanyahu’s response was out of proportion and very dismissive of the traditional Franco-Israeli friendship.
Tensions are high, with ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, where more than 40,000 have been reported dead, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Monday will mark the first anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.