Yair Netanyahu lashes out at Macron as France signals Palestinian state recognition

As international momentum builds toward recognising a Palestinian state, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's son has launched a tirade against French President Emmanuel Macron, who this week signalled France may soon officially support Palestinian statehood.

Macron said on Wednesday that France "must move towards recognition" of a Palestinian state, suggesting the move could come as early as June, when France co-hosts a UN conference on Palestine with Saudi Arabia.

In a follow-up post on Friday, Macron reaffirmed: "Yes to Israel’s security. Yes to a Palestinian state without Hamas."

The comments triggered fury from Yair Netanyahu, a hardline pro-Israel figure and son of Israel’s increasingly isolated premier.

In a post on X, the younger Netanyahu called for the secession of French overseas territories and likened Macron to a Nazi collaborator.

"Screw you!" he wrote, before listing regions like Corsica, New Caledonia, and French Guiana as examples of supposed French hypocrisy. He later shared a post comparing Macron to Philippe Pétain, the Vichy leader who collaborated with Nazi Germany.

Yair Netanyahu, who has remained in Florida since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, has faced criticism from Israeli media for avoiding military service while thousands of young Israelis have been called to fight.

His outbursts come as his father faces growing domestic unrest and international condemnation over the war.

Macron’s latest remarks follow a visit to Egypt, where he met with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

In El-Arish, near the Gaza border, Macron visited wounded Palestinian civilians and condemned Israel’s killing of aid workers and medics in March. He also called for an immediate end to the blockade on Gaza.

If France follows through, it would become the most influential Western country to recognise Palestine, joining the majority of the world - including Ireland, Norway, Spain, and Slovenia, which did so in 2024.

Over 140 of the 193 UN member states have already recognised Palestinian statehood.