“The prime minister said in a phone call that he is against a unilateral ceasefire that will not change Lebanon’s security situation and will only return to the way it was before,” Netanyahu‘s office said in a statement.
The news came at a time when Macron is putting pressure on Israel to comply with UN resolutions.
“Netanyahu must not forget that his country was created by a UN decision,” Macron said at a cabinet meeting, referring to a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly in November 1947 on a plan to divide Israel into Jewish state and Arab state.
Netanyahu criticized Macron’s comments on Tuesday, saying the establishment of Israel was achieved through the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, not a UN decision.
“A reminder to the French president: the establishment of the State of Israel was not a UN resolution, but a victory achieved in the war of independence with the blood of brave fighters, many of whom survived the Holocaust – including the Vichy regime in France,” Netanyahu said.
Tensions have risen between the two politicians, with Macron insisting last week that the only way to end the armed conflict was to stop exporting weapons used by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon conflict.
France has also repeatedly criticized Israel’s dismissal of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon. Among these peacekeepers is a French group.
“That is why now is not the time to disregard the decisions of the UN,” Macron said.
The French president’s comments at the government meeting behind closed doors at the Elysee Palace were called by a member of the meeting, who wished to remain anonymous in a conversation with the AFP news agency.
