Egypt Daily News – In a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his strong rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state, describing such a move as “nothing but a reward for terrorism.”
According to a statement from Netanyahu’s office on Tuesday, the prime minister emphasized during the call that “a Palestinian state established on land just a short distance from Israeli cities would become a stronghold of Iranian terrorism,” as he put it. He also claimed that the vast majority of Israeli society opposes the idea of recognizing a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu went on to harshly criticize the Palestinian Authority, pointing out what he said was its failure to condemn the October 7 attack. He also alleged that Palestinian educational institutions promote hatred against Israel and claimed that financial incentives are given to those who carry out attacks against Jews.
Meanwhile, Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister’s son, lashed out at President Macron for a post on X in which Macron wrote: “Yes to peace, yes to Israel’s security, yes to a Palestinian state without Hamas.” Yair responded on Saturday evening, saying: “Damn you! Yes to the independence of New Caledonia! Yes to the independence of French Polynesia! Yes to the independence of Corsica! Yes to the independence of the Basque region! Yes to the independence of French Guiana! Stop French neo-imperialism in West Africa.”
It is believed that Yair Netanyahu confused Guinea—a sovereign country in West Africa since 1958—with French Guiana, which is the largest overseas region of France, located on the northeastern coast of South America.
This exchange of tensions comes after President Emmanuel Macron announced that France intends to move forward with the recognition of a Palestinian state in June. In a recent interview with a French television channel, Macron said: “We must move toward recognizing Palestine, and we will do so in the coming months.”
According to announced plans, France, in partnership with Saudi Arabia, will co-host a two-day United Nations conference in New York this June, focused on advancing the two-state solution—18 months after the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu calls Macron’s position “a grave mistake”
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a separate statement following his son’s remarks, distancing himself from Yair’s language by saying: “His tone of response… is unacceptable to me.” However, Netanyahu repeated criticisms of French foreign policy, including references to “French Guiana.”
Posting on X, Netanyahu wrote: “President Macron is making a grave mistake by continuing to promote the idea of a Palestinian state in the heart of our land—a state whose only ambition is the destruction of the State of Israel.”
He added: “We will not risk our existence for illusions detached from reality, and we will not accept moral preaching to establish a Palestinian state from those who oppose independence for Corsica, New Caledonia, French Guiana, and other regions—whose independence, unlike that of Palestine, poses no existential threat to France.”
