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Navigating the rising tension between Israel and France
Credit: Robert Hegedus/EPA

French President Emmanuel Macron received criticism from Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz. This opposition is due to ‌the President’s decision to ban ‌Israeli companies from an arms fair. This will be held in Paris next month. Kartz said that the decision by Macron regarding to ban was not fair and called it undemocratic, particularly between two close nations, Israel and France. He also said that Israel would take legal action against this ban, but he did not discuss the details of what type of measure would be taken. 

This situation potentially arms the friendship between the two nations. Because these types of boycotts are not common among allies. The French government did not pass any comment on the criticism and left the situation unresolved. This lack of clarity is a great hurdle in order to predict how these issues will be solved and what will these both nations done.

A naval defense fair, the Euronaval Salon, will be held in Paris next month. The due date of the fair is 4 to 7 November, which has banned the Israeli stands and exhibits after the French government’s decision. However, Israeli delegates are still permitted to attend the event. In recent weeks, the relationship between France and Israel has become very tense. The tensions arose when France announced to ban‌ on weapons sales to Israel. According to him, these weapons are also the major reason for the conflict between Israel and Palestine because these arms could be used in the conflict in Gaza

The complicated relationship between Israel and France

Many believe that France took this decision according to the direction of the United States, which is one of the close allies of Israel. In response to this announcement,‌ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed outrage. He strongly opposed Macron, along with other Western leaders for making such type of decisions and said that this move was not fair. This points out the growing complexities between France and Israel, especially when it comes to military support and the ongoing Gaza conflict. The disagreement has further strained their diplomatic relationship.

Recently, Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s Prime Minister, also bans arms sales to Israel. This action was taken after Israel’s attack on the United Nations peacekeeper in Lebanon. This highlights that most of the nations across the world are worried about Israel‘s aggressive and illegal actions. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized French President Emmanuel Macron. Reports say Macron reminded his ministers that Israel was created by a UN decision. This refers to the 1947 UN resolution that divided Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state.

Macron’s comment annoyed Prime Minister Netanyahu because they highlighted ‌global participation in Israel’s founding. With time, the tension between Israel and other nations is increasing. Both Macron and Sánchez are worried about Israel’s military actions. This complicated situation that how history affects the current relationship between Israel and other world leaders.  

By claiming that the Arab-Israeli war, not a UN resolution, was the cause of Israel’s formation in 1948, Netanyahu charged Macron with distorting history. In France, this remark caused a lot of controversy. Macron responded by accusing the media and his ministers of misinterpreting his comments and said they were taken out of context.  

He made a point of saying that he had said enough about the Middle East and didn’t want clarification. The continuous strain in international relations, particularly with reference to historical events, is highlighted by this circumstance. Both leaders have multiple issues on current issues. To understand the wider ramifications of their remarks on world politics, one must have a solid understanding of these processes.

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