JERUSALEM: Israel’s foreign minister said Thursday that his government would not agree to a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron so long as Paris plans to recognize a Palestinian state.
A statement from Israel’s foreign ministry said Gideon Saar told France’s top diplomat Jean-Noel Barrot in a phone call that “there is no room” for a presidential visit “as long as France persists in its initiative and efforts that harm Israel’s interests.”
Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had rejected a request by Macron to make a brief visit ahead of the UN General Assembly later this month, where the president plans to formally recognize a Palestinian state.
Paris should “reconsider its initiative,” Foreign Minister Saar told Barrot, arguing that the move would undermine regional stability and harm “Israel’s national and security interests.”
“Israel strives for good relations with France, but France must respect the Israeli position when it comes to issues essential to its security and future,” Saar said according to the statement.
Tensions between France and Israel have flared since Macron said France would formally recognize a Palestinian state during the UN meeting. Several Western governments have announced similar plans.
The row escalated last month when Netanyahu accused Macron of fomenting “antisemitism,” with the Elysee hitting back, calling the allegation “abject” and “erroneous.”
By announcing the move to recognize statehood for Palestinians, France is set to join a list of nations that has grown since the start of the Gaza war nearly two years ago.
Making his announcement in July, Macron said the “urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza.”
“We must finally build the State of Palestine” and ensure that it would “contribute to the security of all in the Middle East,” he wrote on social media.
France is among at least 145 of the 193 UN members that now recognize or plan to recognize a Palestinian state, according to an AFP tally.
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