Netanyahu was not singular in accusing the West of opposing Israel, yet supporting Hamas. Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, also attributed the killing of the embassy workers to European leaders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attack on British Prime Minister Kier Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron has triggered slander accusations from the two nations.
Netanyahu on Friday condemned Starmer, Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for endorsing Hamas and inciting antisemitism after two Israeli Embassy officials were murdered in Washington, DC earlier this week. The two were shot dead by a gunman who was heard uttering “Free, free Palestine” as he was being led away by the police.
I do not comprehend how this plain fact eludes the leaders of France, Britain, Canada and others. They are now suggesting they create a Palestinian state and grant these killers the greatest prize,” Netanyahu said. Netanyahu was joined by blaming the West for defying Israel, while at the same time supporting Hamas. Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, also attributed the killing of the embassy personnel to European leaders.
In the meantime, the Israeli prime minister’s words have not only elicited the wrath of the nations whose leaders he was attributing blame to but are also thought by officials within his government to be actions taken in response to Starmer, Macron and Carney’s communiqué, urging Israel to end the war.
In France, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot characterized Netanyahu’s accusations of antisemitism as slanderous. Posting a statement on X, Barrot said: “Accusing of encouraging antisemitism or [supporting] Hamas whoever defends the two-state solution is absurd and slanderous.”
He also added that France is in support of Hamas being “disarmed and permanently excluded from the political future of Gaza.”
At the same time, Britain’s armed forces minister Luke Pollard said, “I utterly condemn the assassinations of the Israeli envoys in the United States, as the prime minister has done very publicly.”
“But we’re also absolutely clear that the best way to bring peace to the Middle East is with an immediate ceasefire being restored in Gaza with Hamas releasing the hostages without any further delay, and with massive amounts of aid getting to the Palestinian people in Gaza – food, water and medical supplies being delivered – without delay,” he added.
