French President Emmanuel Macron blames journalists and his own ministers for the leak of a comment he made at a government meeting the other day about the establishment of the state of Israel, reports the Israeli daily The Times of Israel.
During the meeting, the French head of state allegedly stated that Israel was created by the UN.
“I must tell you how astonished I was to read so many comments, reactions, including from foreign or French political leaders, to remarks that I allegedly made without asking the question of what they were saying and what exactly I said,” he said at a press conference following the European Council meeting in Brussels.
“There is therefore no ambiguity. All those who would like to make it exist through this type of manipulation are not only mistaken, but are hurting some people and weakening France,” he said. “France has always stood by Israel. The existence and security of Israel are intangible for France and the French.”
At the press conference held, he categorically denied that he had questioned the circumstances of the establishment of the state of Israel. According to the president, what he had said was distorted.
When the news was first reported regarding Macron’s comments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted angrily to the words of the French head of state, saying that the Jewish state was established through the 1948 War of Independence, not a UN resolution.
Macron and Netanyahu have been locked in a spat over the war in Gaza, with Macron recently calling for Western nations to halt arms shipments to Israel over the disastrous humanitarian situation. Netanyahu reacted fiercely, saying Israel would be victorious without French support.
Notably, other European countries have also grown increasingly hostile to Israel since the war began. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has reiterated that no new weapons will go to Israel and that her country has the strictest rules against weapons exports to Israel of any European nation.
“After the start of Israeli operations in Gaza, the (Italian) government immediately suspended the granting of any new export license for weapons materials to Israel. Pursuant to Law 185 of 1990, therefore, all contracts signed after October 7 have not been implemented,” she said in parliament this week. “I want to remind you that the Italian position – I also say this with respect to a debate that, in the aftermath of President Macron’s statements, became very lively – that the Italian position, that is, the complete blocking of all new export licenses, is much stricter, much more restrictive than that applied by our other partners, the one applied by France, the one applied by Germany, the one applied by the United Kingdom. These partners continue to operate even for the new licenses on a case-by-case basis. We do not evaluate new licenses on a case-by-case basis. We’ve blocked everything.”
