Muhamad Yehia .. Cairo
Earlier this week, the three leaders issued a joint statement condemning what they said was Israel’s “egregious” military actions in Gaza and warning that they would take “concrete actions” if Netanyahu didn’t change course.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Canada of being on the “wrong side of history” and siding with Hamas after they all called for an end to Israel’s military operation in Gaza and restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid.
“When mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you’re on the wrong side of justice, you’re on the wrong side of humanity and you’re on the wrong side of history,” he said in remarks on Friday, name-checking Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer and Mark Carney.
“Now, these leaders may think that they’re advancing peace, they’re not. They’re emboldening Hamas to continue fighting forever and they give them hope to establish a second Palestinian state from which Hamas will again seek to destroy the Jewish state – and mind you, it’s not going to be a state free of Hamas.”
Earlier this week, the three leaders issued a joint statement condemning what they called Israel’s “egregious” military actions in Gaza and warning that they would take “concrete actions” if Netanyahu didn’t change course, particularly regarding humanitarian aid
In his television address, Netanyahu also said the killing of two of his country’s embassy staff in Washington was a “horrific” act of antisemitic violence.
Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and 26-year-old Sarah Milgrim were shot dead at an event hosted by the city’s Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday night local time.
Elias Rodriguez shouted “Free, free Palestine” as police took him away, and Netanyahu drew a direct line between the shooting and the Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023, which started the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
France, the UK and Canada, all close allies of Israel, condemned the killings in Washington, as they did after Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack
Faltering relations
Government ministers in all three countries have been quick to defend their leaders. Christophe Lemoine, spokesperson for the French foreign ministry, told local radio that “Israel has to let aid in; access has to be massive and free,” while criticising the military escalation.
And the UK armed forces minister Luke Pollard rejected Netanyahu’s criticism of Starmer, saying, “We stand in support of Israel’s right to self-defence as long as they conduct that within international humanitarian law.”
Relations between Israel and the UK plunged to their lowest level in decades earlier this week after British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced he was suspending free trade negotiations with Israel, calling cabinet ministers’ calls there to “purify Gaza” repellent.
This also isn’t the first time Macron has received a sharp rebuke from Israel’s prime minister.
Earlier this month, Netanyahu said that Macron had “once again chose to stand” with Hamas after the French president said Europe should consider sanctioning Israel over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands are thought to be now facing starvation.
After an almost three-month blockade on all aid entering the Strip, dozens of trucks were allowed to enter Gaza again earlier this week, but the UN said that the amount entering was a “drop in the ocean” compared to what was needed.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) launched a renewed offensive in Gaza, codenamed Operation Gideon’s Chariots, last Friday.
The major ground offensive in northern and southern Gaza is backed by the Israeli air force and aims to expand “operational control” over the Strip and free the remaining hostages still being held by Hamas.