On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu responded sharply to comments made by the French president regarding the United Nations' role in Israel's creation. Netanyahu reminded Macron that Israel was established by Holocaust survivors, including some who escaped the Vichy regime, which had collaborated with Nazi forces in France during World War II.
Macron had earlier suggested, during a private meeting with his ministers, that Netanyahu should not "ignore United Nations decisions." He pointed to the U.N. General Assembly's 1947 vote, which ended the British mandate in Palestine and proposed the partition of the land into Jewish and Arab states, as the foundation of Israel's creation.
Tensions have been escalating between Macron and Netanyahu, especially as Israel intensifies its strikes against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon — a country with deep historical ties to France. Relations have become even more strained after Israeli forces hit U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.
In his rebuttal, Netanyahu rejected the idea that Israel's establishment was solely the result of a U.N. resolution. "A reminder to the president of France: It was not the U.N. resolution that established the State of Israel, but rather the victory achieved in the War of Independence, fought by heroic fighters, many of whom were Holocaust survivors — including those from the Vichy regime in France," he stated.
The Vichy regime notoriously collaborated with Nazi Germany, facilitating the deportation of 76,000 Jews from France to concentration camps.
Recently, Macron also called for a suspension of arms deliveries to Israel in an interview, sparking further outrage from Netanyahu, who condemned the French president's position as shameful.
Last month, France had attempted to mediate a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. However, the ceasefire effort collapsed after Netanyahu ordered strikes on Hezbollah’s headquarters, resulting in the death of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.