we tell you about the weekend of tensions between Emmanuel Macron and Benjamin Netanyahu

The French president spoke out in favor of stopping arms deliveries to the Jewish state on Saturday, arousing the anger of the Israeli Prime Minister.

A chill on Franco-Israeli relations, in the midst of commemorations of the first anniversary of October 7. Tension rose a notch on Saturday, October 5, between Emmanuel Macron and Benyamin Netanyahu, after the French president said he was in favor of stopping deliveries of weapons used by the Jewish state in the Gaza Strip. , arousing the ire of the Israeli Prime Minister. The two leaders spoke by telephone on Sunday, “in all frankness and with respect for the friendship between France and Israel” to calm the situation, according to the Elysée. Franceinfo looks back in three acts on this high-tension weekend.

1 Emmanuel Macron speaks about the situation

It all started on Saturday with the broadcast on France Inter of an interview with the Head of State recorded Tuesday afternoon, before the Iranian missile attack on Israel, on the occasion of the 19th Francophonie Summit. In this interview, Emmanuel Macron declares that “priority” to resolve the conflict raging in the Middle East is to return “for a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to carry out the fighting in Gaza”adding that “France does not deliver any”.

The Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Armed Forces, Jean-Louis Thiériot, repeated on franceinfo on Sunday that France was not delivering weapons to Israel. In March, the Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, explained that French military components were only supplied to Israel for “purely defensive systems”like the “Iron dome” installed to counter rocket and missile fire.

In this interview, the French president also called Benjamin Netanyahu to “hear” what the international community tells him. “The Lebanese people cannot in turn be sacrificed and Lebanon cannot become a new Gaza”continued Emmanuel Macron, mentioning the Israeli operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon. “This is why over the last few days we have asked for a halt to these operations”he added. “We do not fight against terrorism and terrorists by sacrificing a civilian population.”

“I think we are not being heard. I said it again to Prime Minister Netanyahu and I think it is a mistake, including for the security of Israel tomorrow”underlined the tenant of the Elysée. “We see it clearly in our public opinions, we see it in an even more terrible way in the public opinions of the region, it is basically a resentment which is being born, a hatred which is nourished by this”he concluded.

2 Benyamin Netanyahu reacts harshly

These comments immediately caused the Israeli Prime Minister to react. “As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should stand firmly with Israel”immediately castigated Benjamin Netanyahu in a published video on his social networksentitled “My message to Macron”.

“Yet President Macron and other Western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel. They should be ashamed”

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

in a video

The head of the Israeli government thus reacts to the words of the French president, but also to the decisions taken by several Western countries, such as Canada, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. In recent months, they have chosen to cease or suspend their arms deliveries to the Jewish state. “Rest assured that Israel will fight until the battle is won, for our sake and for the sake of world peace and security.”Benyamin Netanyahu once again insisted.

3 The two leaders explain themselves on the phone

To prevent diplomatic relations between Paris and Tel Aviv from being definitively broken, the two leaders spoke by telephone on Sunday. “On this occasion, the President of the Republic and the Israeli Prime Minister discussed at length the situation in the Middle East, with complete frankness and respect for the friendship between France and Israel”said the Elysée in a press release. The presidency assures that “the two leaders accept their differences of opinion as well as their desire to each be well understood by the other”. Thus, Emmanuel Macron again informed Benyamin Netanyahu of “his conviction that the time for a ceasefire has now come”.

During this interview, Emmanuel Macron “reiterated to the Israeli Prime Minister that France’s commitment to Israel’s security is unwavering and reminded him of the mobilization of French military resources to its defense during the attacks carried out by Iran in recent months”further specifies the Elysée. The head of state also “expressed the solidarity of the French people with the Israeli people, particularly the victims, the hostages and their loved ones”.

For its part, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office reported that Benjamin Netanyahu had requested “support” to the French president. “Friends of Israel are expected to support it and not impose restrictions that will only strengthen the Iranian axis of evil”he declared to Emmanuel Macron, presenting his country’s offensive against Hezbollah as “an opportunity to change the reality in Lebanon for the benefit of stability, security and peace throughout the region”.