PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday reminded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel was created as a result of a resolution adopted by the United Nations, urging him to abide by the current UN resolutions.
In a statement during a closed-door cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace on Tuesday, Macron referred to the 1947 UN General Assembly resolution.
“Mr. Netanyahu must not forget that his country was created by a decision of the UN,” Macron told the French cabinet, according to a source quoted by AFP.
The comments come as Israel presses forward with a ground offensive in southern Lebanon, where UN peacekeepers, including French troops, are stationed. Macron reiterated the need for Israel to comply with UN decisions.
Macron highlighted the critical role of the UN peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, which is deployed in southern Lebanon under the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The resolution mandates that only the Lebanese army and UNIFIL forces should operate in the area.
Tensions between Macron and Netanyahu have escalated in recent weeks, with the French president pushing for an arms embargo to stop the Israeli violence in Gaza and Lebanon. France has consistently condemned Israeli attacks on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon and voiced concerns over the potential harm to the 10,000-strong UNIFIL contingent, which includes 700 French troops.
Netanyahu responded to Macron’s remarks on Tuesday, rejecting calls for a unilateral ceasefire in Lebanon.
According to a statement released by his office, the Israeli prime minister said, “I am opposed to a unilateral ceasefire, which does not change the security situation in Lebanon, and which will only return it to the way it was.”
