Netanyahu and son slam French President over Palestinian state recognition plan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a scathing rebuke of French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent remarks suggesting France could formally recognise a Palestinian state in the coming months.

The move, if carried out, would mark a significant shift in French foreign policy and further strain relations with Israel.

In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, Netanyahu called Macron “gravely mistaken” for considering the recognition of a Palestinian state, which he claimed would be a direct threat to Israel’s existence. “President Macron is gravely mistaken in continuing to promote the idea of a Palestinian state in the heart of our land - a state whose sole aspiration is the destruction of Israel,” Netanyahu said, referencing the deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel last year.

"To this day, not a single figure in Hamas or the Palestinian Authority has condemned the horrors of the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust," he added.

He further criticised Macron’s stance by drawing comparisons with French overseas territories. “We will not endanger our existence over illusions detached from reality, and we will not accept moral lectures from those who oppose granting independence to Corsica, New Caledonia, French Guiana, and other territories, whose independence would pose no threat to France whatsoever,” he said.

Netanyahu’s son, Yair, took to social media late Saturday with an even more blunt response. “Screw you!” he wrote on X, directly addressing Macron. He followed it up with a sarcastic call for independence movements in French territories, though he mistakenly referenced “French Guinea” instead of French Guiana.

Macron made his original statement during a televised interview on France 5, saying France could take the step at a United Nations conference in June. “We must move toward recognition, and we will do so in the coming months,” he said, expressing hope that such a move would encourage broader recognition of Israel by Arab nations in return.

Facing domestic criticism, particularly from right-wing factions, Macron clarified his position on Friday. He reiterated his support for both Israeli security and Palestinian statehood. “I support the legitimate right of Palestinians to a state and to peace, just as I support the right of Israelis to live in peace and security,” he posted on X.

The debate comes amid increasingly strained relations between France and Israel. While France has historically supported a two-state solution, formal recognition of a Palestinian state would be a significant departure from its previous policy and could provoke a deeper diplomatic rift.

Macron’s comments have been welcomed by Palestinian groups, including Hamas, while nearly 150 countries globally already recognise a Palestinian state. Recent recognitions by Ireland, Norway, Spain, and Slovenia - spurred in part by Israel’s military response in Gaza - highlight the growing international momentum behind Palestinian statehood.