French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Wednesday advised the Israeli ambassador to the United States to stay “as far away as possible” from the media, in response to a statement by the diplomat in which he rejected Paris’s interference in the negotiations between the Hebrew state and Lebanon.
Ambassador Yehiel Leiter said in his statement after his direct talks with his Lebanese counterpart in Washington, “We certainly do not want to see the French interfering in these negotiations.”
The diplomat added, “We want to keep the French as far away from almost everything as possible, especially when it comes to peace negotiations.”
Barrow commented on Leiter’s statement on Wednesday, describing him sarcastically as “a man who seems very diplomatic, very tactful, and very intelligent.”
He added in a harsh tone on the sidelines of the international conference to support Sudan in Berlin, “It seems that he is determined to reduce the number of partner countries that Lebanon will need to advance to the minimum.”
Barrow suggested to the Israeli diplomat that he stay away “as much as possible” from “microphones and television cameras.”
As for the content of the negotiations, Barrow said that he was “satisfied” that the Israeli government responded to “France’s request” by taking advantage of the “extended hand” from Lebanon in order to “work to consolidate a ceasefire, initiate in a coordinated manner the process of disarming Hezbollah, and then settle the decades-old dispute between the two countries.”
Relations between French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are tense, especially since Paris recognized the State of Palestine.
