Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly criticized French President Emmanuel Macron, claiming that French authorities had failed to act in time to curb Islamist extremism.
His remarks came after episodes of violence and looting that have shaken the country.
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In an interview with the French-language network i24News, Netanyahu said the French government had failed to confront the radical threat. He described France as having “surrendered to the invasion of extremist Islam.”
Asked what he would advise Macron after the recent incidents, Netanyahu urged France not to pursue a policy of appeasement and to take stronger action against extremists.
“Fight, don’t pursue a policy of appeasement; fight the extremists,” the Israeli prime minister said.
Netanyahu also spoke about a conversation he said he had had with Macron after Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. He claimed he had warned the French president that the threat could spread beyond the Middle East.
“If we don’t eliminate them here, you’ll have them in Paris,” Netanyahu said, recalling the words he claimed to have addressed to Macron. According to the prime minister, recent developments in France show that his warning was right.
Netanyahu’s remarks have brought immigration, security and Islamist extremism back to the center of the European debate.
However, there is no evidence establishing a link between the recent unrest in France and Islamist groups. Claims that immigrant communities demonstrate the influence or control of Islamic law in some areas of Europe have been repeatedly challenged and have prompted accusations of Islamophobia.
The latest verbal clash comes as relations between Paris and Tel Aviv remain tense, particularly after France formally recognized the Palestinian state in September 2025.
The decision drew a strong reaction from the Israeli government. Netanyahu had earlier accused Macron of “pouring fuel on the fire of antisemitism” in France.
With his latest remarks, the Israeli prime minister has extended the dispute to France’s domestic security, criticizing the way Macron’s government is handling violence and extremism.
