Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks at the UN General Assembly, calling them “grotesque” after Macron accused Hamas of never operating in the West Bank. The controversy centers on a disputed translation of Macron’s statement, which Israeli officials claimed falsely suggested Hamas had no presence in the territory, while a French diplomatic source clarified the original French phrase meant Hamas never ruled the West Bank.
Macron’s Speech and the Translation Controversy
During his address to the UN General Assembly, Macron criticized Israel’s conduct in the West Bank, stating that Hamas has never operated in the West Bank.
A French diplomatic source told i24NEWS that Macron’s original French statement, le Hamas n'a jamais sévi en Cisjordanie,
was mistranslated. The source explained that the phrase actually meant Hamas never ruled the West Bank,
not Hamas was never proactive
as some translations suggested. The source added, There was a translation error that led to a misinterpretation.
The clarification came days after Israeli officials accused Macron of ignorance
for his remarks, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich alleging that Hamas had carried out hundreds of attacks
in the West Bank. Smotrich specifically cited the killing of French-Israeli father Netanel Shukron near N’vei Tzuf as evidence of Hamas’s presence in the territory. Netanyahu’s office echoed this sentiment, calling Macron’s comments a grotesque absurdity
and accusing him of erasing their blood.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office stated, Members of Hamas have killed many Israeli civilians in the West Bank.
Israeli Officials and the West Bank’s Escalating Violence
The Israeli military has faced criticism for its handling of violence, including attacks by radical settlers against Palestinians and accusations of inaction against such incidents. A suspected Palestinian assailant killed an Israeli settler near N’vei Tzuf on Sunday, underscoring the volatile environment. The Israeli military is repeatedly accused of not taking decisive enough action against such attacks, or even cooperating with the settlers. There are also frequent fatalities during Israeli army operations in the West Bank.
Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot also criticized Macron’s remarks, stating that Israel has been battling terror in the West Bank for many long years.
Eisenkot argued that the fight against terrorism was not up for debate and warned against international hypocrisy that came at the expense of the Israeli population’s security. Haddad rejected Macron’s claim, pointing to the 2002 Park Hotel bombing in Netanya, which he said was linked to a Hamas cell based in Tulkarm.
Macron’s Broader Criticism of the Gaza Conflict
In addition to his comments on the West Bank, Macron criticized the international community’s response to the Gaza war, questioning the value of global credibility if humanitarian access remained restricted. He called the lack of humanitarian access shameful
despite claims of peace, and said only a fully sovereign Lebanese state could disarm Hezbollah.
