The recent position of French President Emmanuel Macron, that “arms deliveries to Israel must be stopped“, will harm the common fight against Islamist terrorism as well as Franco-Israeli friendshipargues Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz.

In his newspaper article Le Figaroentitled “Anyone who wants peace must fight terrorism.” the Israeli minister reports that “if France wishes to play an important role in building peace and a more secure Middle East, it must contribute to the fight against terrorism and not tie the hands of those who fight it“, pointing out, among other things, the opportunity given to France, after the significant weakening of Hezbollah in Lebanon, to take a political initiative, which would allow a change in the situation in the country and end Hezbollah’s control. However, as he notes, this requires close cooperation with Israel and not “tying its hands in its fight against fundamentalist Islamists led by Iran.”

It also remindsto the French, who may have forgotten it”, that Israel did not want this war, but it was imposed on it, underlining at the same time that Israel is not fighting civilians, but terrorists who hide among the civilian population and use them as human shields.

The State of Israel will continue to do what is necessary to protect its citizens and release the hostages, in accordance with international law“, he concludes.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere was rather tense during a memorial ceremony for the victims of October 7 in Israel, which took place yesterday in Paris, with the keynote speaker Prime Minister Michel Barnier. France will continue to “fight anti-Semitism with every possible means”, the prime minister promised and continued:

You can count on the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and all members of the government to protect our fellow Jews“, he said, prompting boos from part of the audience at the mention of the head of state. Michel Barnier tried to reassure his audience, repeating that “Israel’s security is not and will never be negotiable.” In the same newspaper, however, an article entitled: “Middle East: the complicated Western military support for Israel”, speaks of a division of Israel’s main allies, the Americans, the British and the French, in terms of military support even though, as he points out, they all contributed at different levels in its protection during the latest wave of Iranian ballistic attacks.

Then, reference is made to the strengthening of American development in the Middle East, in the face of the fear of a regional escalation, but also to the suspension of the delivery of lethal equipment to Israel, since the beginning of the conflict, by Italy and the United Kingdom, while it is underlined that Israel it also lacks the US armor-piercing bombs it would need to reach Iran’s buried nuclear facilities, with Washington having so far ruled out supporting such strikes.