But in Brussels on Thursday evening, Macron attempted to quell the controversy by addressing the government and media at a press conference following a summit of EU leaders.
“Ministers must respect the rules, be ethical and not share opinions that are truncated, false or taken out of context,” Macron said. The French president said he was “bewildered” when he read an article about what he had said.
“I have enough to say about the situation in the Middle East and I don’t need a ventriloquist,” he said.
The French government is led by conservative Prime Minister Michel Barnier and includes ministers from the center-right Les Républicains party as well as from Macron’s centrist camp. So it’s not always completely aligned with the president.
Tensions are rising between Macron and Netanyahu as Israel continues its airstrikes against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, which has long historical ties with France. This is especially true after the Israeli Defense Forces attacked UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.
In a recent interview with French radio, Macron called for an end to arms supplies to Israel, to which Netanyahu reacted angrily, expressing “shame” for the French president.
France attempted a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah last month, but it collapsed when Netanyahu ordered an attack on Hezbollah headquarters, killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
