The leaders of France and the UK have rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to link their recent criticism of Israel to an incident in which two Israeli embassy staff members were killed on Wednesday.
In a statement on X, French foreign affairs minister Jean-Noel Barrot said it was "absurd and scandalous" to accuse those who support a two-state solution of "encouraging antisemitism or Hamas".
Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard told the UK's LBC Radio that he disagreed with Netanyahu's comments that the UK was "on the wrong side of humanity" for condemning Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, and for urging the entry of aid.
"The argument that we have been making about how we bring peace to Israel and to the Palestinians is with a restoration of the immediate ceasefire, with Hamas releasing the hostages without any further delay and for massive amounts of aid to get into Gaza to give the Palestinians the food, water and medical support that they need," he said.
The New Arab has also reached out to the UK's foreign office for a comment on the matter.
He also said London condemns the killing of 30-year-old Yaron Lischinsky and 26-year-old Sarah Milgrim in Washington, DC. France and other countries also decried the incident.
On Thursday, Netanyahu launched a tirade against French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney. He accused them of "siding with baby killers and rapists and kidnappers" as well as "emboldening Hamas" in the video posed on X, while he spoke of the incident in the US capital.
Netanyahu repeatedly accused the leaders of sympathising with the Palestinian group, suggesting that such sentiments triggered the killing of Lischinsky and Milgrim, to some degree.
Netanyahu went on to accuse the leaders of "rewarding Hamas" amid talks to recognise Palestine as an independent state. He said the group seeks to "destroy the Jewish state and annihilate the Jewish people" and he is unable to understand how "this simple truth evades the leaders of France, Britain, Canada and others".
His remarks come as key Western allies of Israel have dished out what appears to be their harshest criticism yet of Israel's Gaza assault, after nineteen months of war on the enclave.
President Macron recently described Israel’s actions in Gaza as "unacceptable and shameful". Earlier this week, Starmer said the ongoing war was "utterly intolerable", calling on the Israeli premier to halt his "egregious actions" in Gaza.
All three leaders called for an immediate end to the military onslaught and Israel's block on humanitarian aid.
"You won't be surprised that Hamas thanked President Macron and Prime Ministers Starmer and Carney for demanding that Israel ends its war in Gaza immediately," he said.
"I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer: "When mass murders, rapists and baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you’re on the wrong side of justice, you’re on the wrong side of humanity, and you’re on the wrong side of history."
The Gaza Strip is currently experiencing heightened hunger levels due to Israel's months-long blockade. At least 29 Palestinians were reported dead on Thursday because of starvation, while the UN warned earlier this week that up to 14,000 children could die within a 48-hour period if sufficient aid does not get through.
Despite NGOs and international bodies widely documenting the hunger crisis in Gaza, Netanyahu claimed the leaders were "buying into Hamas’ propaganda" that Palestinians in the enclave are starving.
Netanyahu also likened those who say "Free Palestine" to neo-Nazis, outrageously saying the popular slogan is the modern-day equivalent to "Heil Hitler".
Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, echoed Netanyahu’s allusions, accusing unidentified European officials of "toxic antisemitic incitement that supposedly led to the incident in Washington.
Sa'ar, at a news conference in Jerusalem on Thursday, claimed that there is "a direct line connecting antisemitic and anti-Israel incitement to this murder".
"This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and organisations, especially from Europe."
France vehemently rejected Sa'ar words, with foreign ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine calling the allegations "completely outrageous and unjustified," in a statement via French media.
France is a likely target of Israel’s accusation as Paris said it might consider recognising a Palestinian state next month.
Israeli officials and pro-Israeli figures, irrespective of their nationality, have a track record of deliberately conflating legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism – a phenomenon which has skyrocketed amid the war in Gaza.
EU support for Israel 'fading'
Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to the European Union alluded to a "diplomatic erosion" between the country and the EU bloc.
Haim Regev told journalists in Brussels on Thursday that Israel’s foreign ministry acknowledged "fading sympathy among Europeans for Israel," as the war in Gaza remains ongoing for 19 months, killing more than 53,700 Palestinians.
This reportedly comes after the EU said it will review its political and trade deal with Israel over the "catastrophic situation in Gaza".
The initiative, led by Dutch Foreign Minister Casper Veldkamp as reported by Politico, was launched due to "grave concerns" about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Regev told Israeli site Walla that the European support Israel had at the beginning of the war "was no longer there” after seeing "horrific images and struggling to deal with them".
The diplomat also said the EU’s support is waning despite efforts to centre captives and Hamas’ 7 October attack in diplomatic conversations.
Israel continues to face both domestic and international criticism from captives' families and leaders in the EU and the Arab world, as the war will soon enter its 20th month.