This article was originally published in English
The French president’s call to stop arms deliveries to Israel used in the Gaza Strip angered Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that 88 predominantly French-speaking countries were collectively calling for an “immediate” ceasefire in Lebanon.
Speaking at the 19th Francophonie summit in Paris, the French president also announced that the group had approved an international conference in support of Lebanon, which will be held later this month.
“We expressed our solidarity with Lebanon. We unanimously called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and reaffirmed our commitment to defusing tensions in the region. We want peace and security for all”he declared.
Emmanuel Macron’s statements were echoed by Lebanese Foreign Minister Ziad Makary, who said that Beirut continued to “request a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution” despite ongoing Israeli strikes and the recent assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
“Ils [les Israéliens] do not have red lines. They never had red lines. They had no red lines in Gaza and they won’t have any in Lebanon either. But in Lebanon, militarily speaking, it will be more difficult for them to enter and they also pay a heavy price.”he declared on the sidelines of the summit.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s “excessive” words
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu castigated Emmanuel Macron’s previous statements, calling for an end to arms deliveries to Israel used in the Gaza Strip.
“As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should stand firmly with Israel. Yet President Macron and other Western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel. They should be ashamed. Is Iran imposing an arms embargo on Hezbollah, the Houthis, Hamas and its other proxies?he declared.
The Élysée deplored the words judged “excessive” of Benjamin Netanyahu and assured that France remained “Israel’s unwavering friend”.
France is one of the main supporters of Israel, defending its right to self-defense for years.
A report on arms exports presented to Parliament by the Defense Ministry in July 2023 shows that France has issued 767 export licenses to Israel since 2015.
France sells on average 20 million euros of military equipment to Israel each year.
In April, 11 NGOs in Paris, including Amnesty International, filed a lawsuit to stop France’s arms sales to Israel, arguing that civilians in Gaza were being targeted.
The court rejected this request in May.
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