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The Israel-France dispute deepens

2024-10-16 21:10:56, Kosova & Bota CNA

Israel's defense minister on Wednesday called French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to ban Israeli firms from presenting their products at a naval weapons fair "disgraceful". Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant accused Paris of implementing a policy hostile to the Jewish people.

The decision to ban Israeli firms from participating is the latest incident, prompted by the Macron government's concerns about Israel's conduct in the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

The decision was announced as French efforts began to broker a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and as Israel continues airstrikes on targets there.

"The actions of French President Macron are a shame for the French nation and the values ??of the free world, which he claims to support," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant wrote on the X network.

"France is consistently pursuing a hostile policy towards the Jewish people. We will continue to defend our country from enemies on 7 different fronts and fight for our future - with or without France," Mr. Gallant wrote.

French officials have repeatedly said Paris is committed to Israel's security and point out that the French military helped defend Israel after Iranian attacks in April and earlier this month.

The Euronaval company, organizer of the fair that will take place in Paris from November 4-7, announced in a statement that the French government had informed it on Tuesday that Israeli delegations should not be allowed to participate in the fair with stands or equipment, but that they could be visitors to the fair. The ruling excluded seven Israeli firms, the company said.

It is the second time this year that France excludes Israeli firms from an important activity in the field of defense. In May, France said conditions were not right for Israel to participate in the Eurosatory military trade fair, while President Macron was calling for Israel to halt operations in Gaza.

Israeli forces have launched multiple airstrikes and a ground operation against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, causing significant civilian casualties and prompting Western allies, including France, to call for an immediate ceasefire.

Diplomatic clashes between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Macron have escalated in recent weeks as Paris worked with Washington to reach a 21-day ceasefire that would then pave the way for negotiations on a long-term diplomatic solution.

While they thought Israel had agreed to the terms, France and the United States were caught off guard when the next day Israel carried out attacks that killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, considered a terrorist organization by the United States.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected a unilateral ceasefire that would not stop Hezbollah's rearmament and reorganization.

President Macron has recently irritated Prime Minister Netanyahu several times, especially after United Nations peacekeeping forces came under fire from Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

He has called for an end to Israel's supply of offensive weaponry used in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed and a humanitarian crisis has been created during a year of fighting against Hamas militants, designated a terrorist organization by the United States. .

According to a French official, President Macron told a government cabinet meeting on Tuesday that Prime Minister Netanyahu should not forget that Israel was created by a UN decision.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot tried to calm the situation, saying they had been general comments reminding Israel of the importance of respecting the UN charter.

But Prime Minister Netanyahu's office said in response that Israel was created through "the War of Independence with the blood of our heroic fighters, many of whom were Holocaust survivors, including from the Vichy regime in France" - referring to the complicit French government of Nazi Germany./ VOA