Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz met Wednesday in Paris with French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne. The ministers held a dialogue in which Minister Katz explained to the French minister Israel’s positions on the need to prevent arrest warrants against Israeli leaders and against the recognition of a Palestinian state.

Following the dialogue, Foreign Minister Sejourne clarified France’s position and said that France rejects the comparison made by the prosecutor between the state of Israel, which is a democratic country, and the terrorist organization Hamas.
In addition, the French Foreign Minister expressed France’s opposition to the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state and the need for France to withdraw from the outrageous comparison made by the prosecutor at the High Court in The Hague between the leaders of Israel and Hamas.
The two also discussed the French proposal regarding the Lebanese border, and clarified that the Israeli government will soon make decisive decisions in order to return the residents of the north to their homes.
Minister Sejourne said that he “reaffirmed France’s priorities: immediate release of the hostages, ceasefire, massive humanitarian aid and two States living in peace and security.”
Minister Israel Katz: “There is great importance in what my friend the French Foreign Minister Sejourne said today, who objected to the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state and the issuing of arrest warrants for the Israeli leadership, making a distorted comparison to the terrorist organization Hamas. France made it clear during this visit that it fully supports the efforts of the State of Israel to return all the abductees, to topple the Hamas regime in Gaza, to protect our residents from Hezbollah on the Lebanese border and to impose heavy sanctions on Iran.” -ANI/TPS