French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday (September 18) called Israel’s prolonged military campaign in Gaza "counterproductive" and reaffirmed France's support for recognising a Palestinian state at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly.

He also criticised Israel’s settlement expansion in the West Bank, warning that such policies jeopardise the possibility of achieving a two-state solution and could render the prospect "totally impossible,” in an exclusive interview with Yonit Levi, the anchor of Israeli’s leading evening news broadcaster, Channel 12 News

France, along with Britain, Canada, Australia, and Belgium, plans to support Palestinian state recognition at the United Nations General Assembly later this month.

The countries say these moves are intended to put pressure on Israel to end its assault on Gaza, curtail the building of new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and recommit to a peace process with Palestinians.

French President Emmanuel Macron, the first leader of a major Western power to endorse recognition, has said the move would be accompanied by a commitment by the PA to enact reforms, which would improve Palestinian governance and make the PA a more credible partner for the post-war administration of Gaza.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 18, 2024) (CHANNEL 12 NEWS ISRAEL - No Use Israel/ Must not obscure on-screen credit)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING (SOUNDBITE CONTINUES OVER VARIOUS ANGLES OF MACRON):

“Our top priority remain the release of all hostages. We recognise the right of Israel to defend itself. But when Israel started to have a sort of permanent war in Gaza, we expressed a disagreement very respectfully, but very clearly”

2. WHITE FLASH

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING (SOUNDBITE CONTINUES OVER VARIOUS ANGLES OF MACRON):

“Having this type of operation in Gaza is totally counterproductive because this is being I have to see a failure. The second point is that you are making so many civilians casualties and victims that you are completely destroying the image and the credibility of Israel not just in the region, but in public opinion everywhere.”

4. WHITE FLASH

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING (SOUNDBITE CONTINUES OVER SHOT OF CHANNEL 12 NEWS ISRAEL ANCHOR, YONIT LEVI):

“So first, the objective of Hamas has never been to make two states and especially two states, as we propose, and we want to do it in the peace plan we will put on the table next week in New York. They want an Islamic State and they want, especially, to destroy Israel. This is the objective. And recognizing a Palestinian state is just deciding to say the legitimate perspective of Palestinian people and what they suffer today has nothing to do with Hamas.”

6. WHITE FLASH

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING :

“Precisely is the approach of your government, some ministers especially, is to destroy the possibility of a two-state solution. And I think now, there was an emergency, especially after this vote against West Bank, to start the settlements again. And I think probably it is the last minute before proposing a two-states would become totally impossible.''

8. WHITE FLASH

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING (SOUNDBITE CONTINUES OVER WIDE ANGLE OF MACRON AND CHANNEL 12 NEWS ISRAEL ANCHOR, YONIT LEVI):

“West Bank has nothing to do with Hamas. And when people start saying our answer is to the recognition, or to the situation, will be to restart settlements in West Bank, this is the best evidence of the fact that this is a political project whose objective is not to dismantle Hamas, but to kill the possibility of a two-states and to deny the right of Palestinian people to live in peace in the region.”

10. WHITE FLASH

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING (SOUNDBITE CONTINUES OVER VARIOUS ANGLES OF MACRON AND WIDE ANGLE OF MACRON AND LEVI):

“What we propose is to have a mandate of the United Nations and an international force to say some troops could be deployed in order to secure the place. We can accelerate as well and scale up the ongoing training of police people and security forces in the hands of the Palestinian authorities with a clear vetting of Israel to be sure that everybody is comfortable but to secure this place.''

12. WHITE FLASH

13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING (SOUNDBITE CONTINUES OVER VARIOUS ANGLES OF MACRON):

“Hamas becomes the reason to never disagree with your prime minister and your and your ministers, even when they decide crazy things. I am zero percent with you when your government says the answer is to design new settlement in West Bank or to displace population in Gaza.”

14. WHITE FLASH

15. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING (SOUNDBITE STARTS ON WIDE OF ANGLE OF MACRON AND LEVI AND CONTINUES OVER VARIOUS ANGLES OF MACRON):

“When they see people with a name, they considered as Zionist as they say. They say, ‘you are Jewish. So you are the equivalent of Israeli people. So you are in favour of Israel. So you are in favour of your government and Prime Minister Netanyahu. So you are a killer in Gaza.’ And there is a sort of immediate equivalence, which is a craziness.”