French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that included a claim about Judea and Samaria that left Israelis incredulous. "Just look at what is happening in the West Bank," Macron said. "Day after day we see violations. And in whose name? Hamas has never been active in the West Bank."
The French president went on to say: "What we need is to respect the legitimate right of the Palestinian people, the legitimate right to exist. This is a precondition for security, today and tomorrow, for the people of Israel."
Macron also said that "the so-called peace in Gaza shames us all, and has not opened humanitarian corridors." He further attacked what he called "settler violence in the West Bank," claiming it "undermines the legitimacy of Palestinians to exist."
Israeli commentators were quick to respond to Macron's statement. Amit Segal wrote: "Saying that Hamas hasn't operated in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) is like saying Macron is a tall, successful and popular president." Military correspondent Doron Kadosh noted: "For President Macron's information: The terrorist who murdered Netanel Shekaron of blessed memory just before Yom Kippur, the day before yesterday, in Ma'ayan in Binyamin, was a Hamas operative."
