A top Israeli official launched a sharp rebuke against French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, branding him a “disgrace” after Israeli companies were barred from participating in an upcoming French arms exhibition.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant condemned Macron as “a disgrace to the French nation and the values of the free world” in a social media statement, following the French government's decision to block Israeli firms from showcasing their military products at the Euronaval trade show in Paris next month.
Gallant criticized the move as discriminatory, noting that this was the second time Israel had been excluded from such events, referencing a similar ban in June. He argued that the decision served Israel's enemies, particularly during a time of war, and accused France of maintaining a consistently hostile stance toward the Jewish state.
"We will continue to defend our nation against threats on seven different fronts and fight for our future — with or without France," Gallant asserted.
This marks the latest escalation in tensions between Macron and the Israeli government as Israel intensifies military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
Earlier in the week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Macron's remark, made during a closed-door Cabinet meeting, where the French president emphasized that Israel’s creation was a result of a U.N. decision.
Netanyahu countered in a statement: "A reminder to the president of France: Israel was not founded by a U.N. resolution but by victory in the War of Independence, won through the blood of heroic fighters, many of whom were Holocaust survivors, including some who fled the Vichy regime in France."
Macron has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza and urged nations to halt arms supplies to Israel. His stance prompted a fierce reaction from Netanyahu, who lambasted Western leaders pushing for an arms embargo, saying, "Shame on them."