Emmanuel Macron Faces Backlash Over Israel Remarks

French President Emmanuel Macron recently found himself at the center of a significant controversy following comments made during a press conference in Brussels. The controversy surrounds a statement made by Macron regarding the creation of the State of Israel. Speaking on October 17, Macron suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu should not “forget that his country was created by a UN decision.” This remark sparked outrage and debates over its historical accuracy.

The reaction from Netanyahu was swift. The Israeli Prime Minister emphasized the historical sacrifices involved in the founding of Israel, stating, “The creation of the State of Israel was achieved with the blood of heroic fighters, many of whom were Holocaust survivors.” This statement was made in response to Macron’s comments, which Netanyahu perceived as undermining Israel’s historical legitimacy. French political figures, including President of the Senate Gérard Larcher, also criticized Macron for what was seen as a misrepresentation of history, accusing him of a “lack of knowledge about the founding of Israel.”

In the face of widespread criticism, Macron defended his remarks by asserting they were taken out of context. He expressed frustration with what he described as a “breakdown of public debate” and attributed the propagation of the comments to a lack of professionalism among journalists and ministers. “I have been stunned to see so many reactions to comments supposedly made by me, without anyone asking what I actually said,” Macron stated, highlighting the issue of misinformation.

Amid this diplomatic row, Macron reaffirmed France’s historical support for Israel. “There is no ambiguity,” he insisted, “France has never failed Israel.” The tensions between Macron and Netanyahu have been further amplified by Macron’s call for the cessation of weapon supplies to Israel used in operations against Gaza and Lebanon, drawing attention from the Jewish community and French politicians.

The President of the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France (CRIF), Yonathan Arfi, criticized the comments attributed to Macron, labeling them a “historical and political fault.” Meanwhile, within Macron’s political party, some deputies expressed unease over the incident, while political opponents took the opportunity to question the alignment of Macron’s policies with France’s traditional support of Israel.