Emmanuel Macron Has Sharp Words For Israel's PM: 'Mr. Netanyahu Must Not Forget That His Country Was Created By A UN Decision'

Benzinga · 10/16 01:10

French President Emmanuel Macron has issued a stern warning to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him not to overlook United Nations’ resolutions amidst the escalating tensions with Hezbollah.

What Happened: The admonition came during a ministerial meeting on Tuesday, as Macron reminded Netanyahu of Israel’s origin as a result of a U.N. decision. This was in reference to the 1947 General Assembly vote that concluded the British mandate of Palestine and divided the land into Jewish and Arab states, as reported by Politico.

“Mr. Netanyahu must not forget that his country was created by a U.N. decision,” said the French president.

Recently, Macron and Netanyahu have been involved in a heated exchange due to the growing apprehension of a conflict escalation between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group, which could potentially involve Lebanon and its civilian population.

Previously, Macron had called for a halt in arms deliveries to Israel in a French radio interview, which drew a strong response from Netanyahu. Macron’s latest warning is connected to the situation in southern Lebanon and Israeli attacks on U.N. peacekeepers, which was denounced by 40 countries in a statement last Saturday.

France had also called in the Israeli ambassador following an incident where two U.N. staff were injured in south Lebanon. France’s Armed Forces Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, echoed these concerns on Monday, emphasizing the issue of Israel’s non-compliance with UN resolutions.

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Why It Matters: On Sunday morning, Israeli tanks breached a U.N. peacekeeping post in southern Lebanon leading to smoke exposure that caused health issues for 15 peacekeepers. Israel claimed the tanks entered to evacuate wounded soldiers after an anti-tank missile strike. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned such actions could constitute war crimes, reported BBC.

Earlier in the month, Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz declared Guterres persona non grata in his country and banned him from entry.

“Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel, as almost every country in the world has done, does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil,” said the Israeli minister on X.

This warning comes amidst a backdrop of escalating tensions in the Middle East. Earlier this month, Iran launched a missile attack against Israel following the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

This put energy markets on edge with analysts highlighting the potential impact of an Israeli attack on Iran’s oil infrastructure. However, oil prices saw a sharp decline after Netanyahu reportedly pledged that Iran’s crude oil infrastructure would be spared from any potential retaliatory strikes.

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal