Israel denounces ‘grotesque absurdity’ of Macron’s UN remarks on West Bank

France's President Emmanuel Macron criticized Israel's actions in the West Bank during a United Nations speech, describing it as a "grotesque absurdity." The Israeli government vehemently responded, condemning Macron's remarks as utterly absurd. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated that Hamas, not Israel, was not active in the West Bank, which is home to the Palestinian Authority.

They emphasized that Hamas terrorists frequently attack Jews in the region, murdering many Israeli civilians. The Israeli government also highlighted the shooting death of an Israeli settler in the West Bank on the eve of Yom Kippur, who happened to be a French citizen. This prompted the Israeli military to arrest the Palestinian gunman and later raid his village.

Netanyahu's office demanded his execution under a new law. The Israeli government noted that extremist settlers often attack and plunder Palestinian properties in the West Bank. The United Nations reported about six settler-related violent incidents against Palestinians or their property daily in the West Bank throughout mid-2026.

Macron spoke about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Hamas led the deadliest attack against Israel on October 7, 2023. He criticized the lack of progress in humanitarian deliveries, calling the situation a "spectacle that shames us all." Netanyahu accused Macron of hypocrisy, pointing out that Hamas has never struck in the West Bank.

The Palestinian Authority, led by Hamas's rivals, has semi-autonomy in major urban areas of the West Bank, while Israel controls most of the territory. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007, two years after Israel withdrew and dismantled settlements. Netanyahu's relationship with Macron has been strained, as France joined Britain in imposing sanctions on Israeli settlement products in the West Bank after Macron's UN General Assembly speech last year.