Irish PM slams ‘unacceptable’ remarks from Israel’s soccer federation amid spat

Israel condemned French President Emmanuel Macron's comments at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, denouncing them as "grotesque absurdity." Macron criticized Israeli actions in the West Bank during his final speech as president, but the Israeli government vehemently disagreed with his assertion that Hamas has never struck in the contested territory.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed strong disagreement with Macron's remarks, emphasizing that Hamas terrorists frequently attack Jews in the West Bank, a region seized by Israel in 1967 and home to the Palestinian Authority.

Netanyahu's office pointed to a recent shooting death of an Israeli settler, Netanel Shukrun, in the West Bank on the eve of Yom Kippur, highlighting the ongoing violence and tensions in the region. The Israeli military arrested the Palestinian gunman at a hospital and later raided his village. Israeli officials called for the gunman's execution under a new law and denounced settlers for their frequent attacks and thefts from Palestinians in the West Bank.

France recently imposed sanctions on Israeli settlements in the West Bank, angering Israel. The United Nations reported about six settler-related violent incidents against Palestinians or their property daily in the territory. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also criticized Macron's speech, calling it "out of touch with reality" and emphasizing Hamas's evil nature.

Macron's speech focused on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and urged countries to adhere to international laws and the UN system, criticizing the lack of progress in achieving respect for the Palestinian people's right to exist.