Germany backs Israel after Iran war in first high-level visit
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Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Italian football coaches call for Israel to be suspended by UEFA and FIFA over Gaza war
The Italian Football Coaches' Association is pushing for Israel to be suspended from international competition over the war in Gaza. Ahead of Italy's crucial World Cup qualifiers against Israel in the next two months, the AIAC says 'Israel must stop. Soccer must also take action.' For the latest updates on the Israel-Palestine conflict, visit our dedicated page. The AIAC has written a formal letter to the Italian football federation, to be forwarded to European and world soccer's governing bodies, calling for Israel to be suspended. 'The AIAC Board of Directors unanimously believes that, given the daily massacres, which have also resulted in hundreds of deaths among managers, coaches, and athletes … it is legitimate, necessary, indeed a duty, to place at the center of federation talks the request, to be submitted to UEFA and FIFA, for the temporary exclusion of Israel from sporting competitions,' the letter concludes. 'Because the pain of the past cannot cloud anyone's conscience and humanity.' Italy is set to play Israel on neutral turf in Debrecen, Hungary on Sept. 8, before hosting the return match in Udine on Oct. 14. 'We could just focus on playing, looking the other way. But we believe that is not right,' AIAC vice president Giancarlo Camolese said. The Azzurri also played Israel in Udine last October in a Nations League match that saw protests before and during the game and intense security measures, including snipers on the roof of the stadium. Since then the situation has continued to deteriorate with the Palestinian death toll from the 22-month war passing 62,000 earlier this month. 'The world is in flames. Many people like the Palestinians are suffering,' AIAC vice president Francesco Perondi said. 'Indifference is unacceptable.'
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Macron says Israel's offensive in Gaza will lead to ‘disaster'
French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that Israel's 'military offensive' to conquer Gaza City 'can only lead to a complete disaster for both peoples,' after Israel's defense minister authorized the call-up of around 60,000 reservists. Israel's plan 'will drag the region into a permanent war,' the French president posted on social media, reiterating his call for an 'international stabilization mission.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israel-France Row Flares Over Macron's Move to Recognize Palestinian State
A row between Israel and France over Paris's plan to recognize a Palestinian state next month escalated to crisis level on Tuesday when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused President Emmanuel Macron of fomenting "antisemitism". The Elysee hit back, calling Netanyahu's allegation "abject" and "erroneous". "This is a time for seriousness and responsibility, not for conflation and manipulation," the French presidency added. Netanyahu's accusation was sent in a letter addressed to Macron, seen by AFP, which said that antisemitism had "surged" in France following the French president's announcement last month that he will recognize Palestinian statehood. Macron said France would formally recognize a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September -- a move that at the time drew a swift rebuke from Israel. In his letter, Netanyahu said to Macron: "Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on this antisemitic fire. It is not diplomacy, it is appeasement. It rewards Hamas terror, hardens Hamas's refusal to free the hostages, emboldens those who menace French Jews and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking your streets." By announcing the move to recognize statehood for Palestinians, France is set to join a list of nations that has grown since the start of the Gaza war nearly two years ago. France is among at least 145 of the 193 UN members that now recognize or plan to recognize a Palestinian state, according to an AFP tally. France has long advocated for the two-state solution. It has said its move to recognize a Palestinian state goes against Hamas, which rules Gaza and has excluded a two-state solution. In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry condemned Netanyahu's remarks, calling them "unjustified and hostile to peace". "The old record of confusing criticism of the Israeli occupation and its crimes or support for the Palestinian people's rights to freedom and independence with antisemitism... has become cracked and exposed, and no one is fooled," the ministry said. - Anti-Jewish violence 'intolerable' - In its response to Netanyahu's antisemitism allegation, the French presidency said that France "protects and will always protect its Jewish citizens". "Violence against the (French) Jewish community is intolerable," it added. "That is why, beyond criminal convictions, the president has systematically required all his governments since 2017 -- and even more so since the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023 -- to show the strongest action against perpetrators of antisemitic acts," it said. Macron's office added that the allegation in Netanyahu's letter "will not go unanswered". Macron's minister for Europe, Benjamin Haddad, separately said that France has "no lessons to learn in the fight against antisemitism". The issue "which is poisoning our European societies" must not be "exploited", Haddad added. France is home to Europe's biggest Jewish community. Reported antisemitic acts in France surged from 436 in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023, before dipping to 1,570 last year, according to the interior ministry. Netanyahu on Tuesday also criticized Australia, which has similarly said it plans to recognize Palestinian statehood next month. The Israeli leader, on his office's official X account, called his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, a "weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews". The personal attack came amid a diplomatic spat between the two countries after the Australian government on Monday cancelled the visa of far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman. Hours later, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he had revoked the visas of Australia's representatives to the Palestinian Authority.
