Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar sharply criticized French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday for the European leader’s decision to convene a high-level meeting in Paris on Thursday to end the Gaza war.
“France’s new initiative, concocted behind Israel’s back at the sensitive timing of the negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh, is unnecessary and harmful, just like its predecessors,” Sa’ar posted to X.
Macron, who has led an international effort to recognize a “State of Palestine,” is seeking to keep France at the forefront of Middle East peace efforts. Representatives from the United States, the European Union, Arab states and major European nations are attending. Israel is not.
Sa’ar framed the summit as another attempt by Macron “to divert attention from his domestic problems at Israel’s expense.”
Macron is in the midst of a political crisis as his third prime minister in a year, Sébastien Lecornu, resigned on Monday after only three-and-a-half weeks on the job.
The gathering—part of the Franco-Saudi initiative for a two-state solution—came as a deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump to bring an end to Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza and the release of the remaining hostages neared approval by Israel’s government on Thursday night.
Sa’ar said Macron’s summit was an attempt to disrupt the Trump plan. “The invitation of openly hostile governments toward Israel, such as [Spain’s] Sánchez government, to discuss Israel’s affairs is especially outrageous,” Sa’ar said.
“The participants may, of course, discuss whatever topics they wish, but there will be no arrangements in Gaza formulated without Israel’s consent,” Sa’ar said.
“French hypocrisy is particularly astonishing given that France itself coined the principle ‘Ukraine’s future cannot be decided without Ukraine.’ It’s another example of double standards,” the foreign minister said.
“Today, we make it clear: Nothing about Israel without Israel. Israel will not agree to the internationalization of the conflict,” Sa’ar concluded.
