Latest news with #IsraeliGovernment
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Israel accuses Macron of ‘crusade against the Jewish state'
French President Emmanuel Macron called for the recognition of a Palestinian state, with some conditions. (EPA Images pic) JERUSALEM : Israel accused French President Emmanuel Macron of undertaking a 'crusade against the Jewish state' yesterday after he called for European countries to harden their stance on Israel if the humanitarian situation in Gaza did not improve. 'There is no humanitarian blockade. That is a blatant lie,' Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement, defending its efforts to allow in aid. 'But instead of applying pressure on the jihadist terrorists, Macron wants to reward them with a Palestinian state. No doubt its national day will be Oct 7,' it added, alluding to the date of Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war. Israel last week partially lifted a more than two-month blockade on supplies entering Gaza, which is enduring severe shortages of food and medicines even as truckloads of humanitarian assistance have begun to trickle in. Macron, meanwhile, has stepped up his statements of support for the Palestinians of late. Yesterday, he said European countries should 'harden the collective position' against Israel if it did not respond appropriately to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including keeping open the possibility of sanctions. 'If we abandon Gaza, if we consider there is a free pass for Israel, even if we do condemn the terrorist attacks, we will kill our credibility,' Macron told a top defence forum in Singapore. He also called for the recognition of a Palestinian state, with some conditions, 'not only a moral duty, but a political necessity'. France is co-hosting with Saudi Arabia an international conference at the UN in New York meant to resurrect the idea of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an outcome the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes. In its statement yesterday, the Israeli foreign ministry said: 'Hamas, for its part, has already praised Macron's statements. Hamas knows why.'
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Israel accuses France's Macron of ‘crusade against the Jewish state'
Israel accused French President Emmanuel Macron of undertaking a 'crusade against the Jewish state' on Friday after he called for European countries to harden their stance on Israel if the humanitarian situation in Gaza did not improve. 'There is no humanitarian blockade. That is a blatant lie,' Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement, defending its efforts to allow in aid. 'But instead of applying pressure on the jihadist terrorists, Macron wants to reward them with a Palestinian state. No doubt its national day will be October 7,' it added, alluding to the date of Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war. Israel last week partially lifted a more than two-month blockade on supplies entering Gaza, which is enduring severe shortages of food and medicines even as truckloads of humanitarian assistance have begun to trickle in. Macron, meanwhile, has stepped up his statements of support for the Palestinians of late. On Friday he said European countries should 'harden the collective position' against Israel if it did not respond appropriately to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including keeping open the possibility of sanctions. 'If we abandon Gaza, if we consider there is a free pass for Israel, even if we do condemn the terrorist attacks, we will kill our credibility,' Macron told a top defence forum in Singapore. He also called the recognition of a Palestinian state, with some conditions, 'not only a moral duty, but a political necessity.' France is co-hosting with Saudi Arabia an international conference at the UN in New York meant to resurrect the idea of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- an outcome the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on X Friday that his country supported a 'demilitarized' Palestinian state within a 'regional security architecture integrating Israel.' 'This is in the interest of Israelis and their security. The only alternative to the permanent state of war,' he added. Responding to the post, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar pointed to past flare-ups in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, adding: 'You will not decide for the Israelis what their interests are.' 'The people of Israel firmly oppose the creation of a Palestinian state in the heart of their homeland,' he added.
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Israel Accepts US Ceasefire Proposal for Gaza
00:00 What is the likelihood that we actually do get a ceasefire breakthrough in the coming days? Well, Israel has already said it accepts this plan. This plan hews largely to what the US envoy, Steve Witkoff, proposed back in early March. Back then, Israel also said it accepted it. Hamas did not. Hamas has yet to deliver a final decision on the plan this time, this round, this iteration. There are reasons that Hamas won't want to accept it. It's under increasing pressure in the Gaza Strip, not just militarily, but also because of the Israeli cut off of aid. Well, actually, the Israeli creation of an alternative aid system that's getting on its feet now and which seeks to isolate and sideline Hamas, split it off from the suffering Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip. Again, we don't know if Hamas will accept it. Hamas has main objects of objection so far appear to be in the endgame formula here. It appears to be fairly hazy as to how this war might end. It's worth remembering Hamas wants to end this war while remaining largely in power in place and Israel wants to end this war with Hamas out and gone. It's very hard to see how those two would be bridged. So we're waiting in the coming hours to hear a Hamas response. I want to ask you about the proposal to build an extra 22 settlements in the West Bank and some of the language that has come out of key Israeli officials in the last 24 hours suggesting that this could be a plan to issue the possibility of a future Palestinian state. Talk us through what is going on and some of the conversations that are being had right now within the Israeli government. Well, in principle, this shouldn't be that surprising. Successive right wing Israeli governments have said they're determined to expand settlements in the West Bank. This is in defiance of most world opinion, which sees this territory as a future Palestinian state, which sees those settlements as illegal, as being constructed in territory captured in war. The reason I think this is interesting now is the timing. We just discussed the cease fire proposal in terms of Israeli domestic opinion. Some of Prime Minister Netanyahu's religious nationalist partners would very much balk. In fact, they've already publicly said they would oppose a cease fire that entails easing up the pressure on Hamas, withdrawing from some of the territory captured in the Gaza Strip, potentially even ending the war with Hamas still in place, if that's what Hamas manages to achieve. So it could be that the timing of the announcement is to mollify those government partners and assure them that in the West Bank at least their wishes are being fulfilled. It's also worth remembering that next month in June, there is an international conference in New York headed up by Saudi Arabia, by France, which intends to revive the idea of Palestinian statehood, Israel is opposed to it, especially after the October 7th attacks that sparked the Gaza war. This could be a messaging for those international powers that that plan is a dead letter.
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
US proposes 60-day ceasefire for Gaza, plan shows
A US plan for Gaza seen by Reuters on Friday proposes a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 28 Israeli hostages, alive and dead, in the first week, in return for the release of 125 Palestinian prisoners sentenced for life and remnants of 180 Palestinian dead. The plan includes sending aid to Gaza as soon as Hamas signs off on the ceasefire agreement.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
US proposes 60-day ceasefire for Gaza, plan shows
A US plan for Gaza seen by Reuters on Friday proposes a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 28 Israeli hostages alive and dead in the first week, in return for the release of 125 Palestinian prisoners sentenced for life and remnants of 180 Palestinian dead. The plan includes sending aid to Gaza as soon as Hamas signs off on the ceasefire agreement.
