French President Emmanuel Macron sparked outrage overnight Tuesday with remarks at the UN General Assembly in which he claimed that Hamas has never operated in Judea and Samaria. Israeli officials responded by pointing to Sunday's shooting attack in Neve Tzuf, carried out by a Hamas operative, in which Netanel Soukrane, a French citizen, was murdered.
"A year ago, right here, we were about 12 countries that recognized a Palestinian state. I hear the cynicism of some people: 'Recognition on paper, look at the reality.' But what is our credibility if we continue to remain inactive in the face of Gaza?" Macron said in his address. "Some boast of a so-called 'peace,' but this peace has not opened the humanitarian corridors for even a single second. Should we watch this spectacle that shames us all? Never."
The French president then turned his attention to Judea and Samaria. "Look at what is happening in the West Bank, where violations are committed every day, and for what? Hamas has never made trouble in the West Bank! What we need is to respect the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to exist. This is a necessary condition for the security of the people in Israel, today and in the future."
The Prime Minister's Office issued a sharp rebuke in English. "The laughable absurdity of Emmanuel Macron's statement is staggering. On Sunday, the eve of Yom Kippur, just two days ago, Netanel Soukrane, a French citizen and father of six, was murdered in his car by a Hamas terrorist in Judea and Samaria. With his last breath, he told his son to flee. Hamas terrorists carry out attacks against Jews almost daily. They have murdered countless Israeli civilians in Judea and Samaria. Ignorance is no excuse for erasing their blood."
