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Netanyahu brands Macron's UN West Bank comments a 'grotesque absurdity' as France admits translation error

From the Newshound archive · first published 23 September 2026 · last updated 24 September 2026.

Benjamin Netanyahu, who called Emmanuel Macron's claim that Hamas has "never been active" in the West Bank a "grotesque absurdity," pointed to the Hamas killing of French citizen Netanel Shukrun in the West Bank.
Benjamin Netanyahu, who called Emmanuel Macron's claim that Hamas has "never been active" in the West Bank a "grotesque absurdity," pointed to the Hamas killing of French citizen Netanel Shukrun in the West Bank.
Netanel Shukrun was shot dead by a Hamas gunman while on a Yom Kippur religious visit to a West Bank spring — the killing Benjamin Netanyahu cited in his rebuke of Emmanuel Macron.
Netanel Shukrun was shot dead by a Hamas gunman while on a Yom Kippur religious visit to a West Bank spring — the killing Benjamin Netanyahu cited in his rebuke of Emmanuel Macron.

French President Emmanuel Macron's UN General Assembly speech erupted into a diplomatic row after he appeared to claim Hamas had "never operated" in the West Bank, prompting a furious response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu's office pointed directly to the murder of Netanel Shukrun, a French citizen and father of six killed by a Hamas-linked attacker in the West Bank just two days before Macron spoke, on the eve of Yom Kippur. French diplomats scrambled to contain the damage, insisting Macron had meant to say Hamas does not "govern" the West Bank, blaming a mistranslation of the French phrase "le Hamas n'a jamais sévi en Cisjordanie."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich went further than Netanyahu, accusing Macron of outright lying and citing hundreds of Hamas attacks in the West Bank.

US ambassador Mike Huckabee also piled in, branding Macron's remarks "out of touch with reality" as Trump offered a robust defence of Israel at the same UN gathering.

Even Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF West Bank commander, called Macron's claim "extremely divorced from reality on the ground."

MoreFox NewsLost in translation: Israel, Huckabee blast Macron over Hamas comments as France clarifies wordingThe Jewish ChronicleIsrael accuses Macron of ‘grotesque absurdity’ over comments that Hamas has ‘never operated’ in West Bankaol.comNetanyahu calls Macron's remarks on West Bank in UN speech 'grotesque' - AOL
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