Let’s Talk Turkey: Macron’s Remark to Netanyahu and the Diplomatic Fallout
Ah, France! The land of cheese, fine wine, and a political climate that’s hotter than a jalapeño in a sauna! Just yesterday, our beloved President Emmanuel Macron made waves during the Council of Ministers with a witty little quip aimed at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He asserted that Netanyahu shouldn’t forget his country was created by a UN decision. Quite the statement, wouldn’t you say? It’s like reminding a toddler that their Lego castle was built with instructions!
The Controversy Unfolds
This cheeky remark did not go unnoticed. Macron’s comments stirred a pot so hot that it could rival a French ratatouille on the stove! A wave of backlash came rolling in from Jewish institutions in France, along with various political figures, turning what seemed like a casual diplomatic nudge into full-blown diplomatic turbulence. And here I thought cooking up a diplomatic row was the work of a skilled chef, not a President!
Fast forward to yesterday evening, Macron responded to the media fallout like a cat confronted by a cucumber—stunned and slightly irritated. He denounced those pesky leaks that were supposedly “distorted,” as if he’d just been informed his favorite café had run out of croissants. “The Councils of Ministers are reported to the press by the government spokesperson,” he exclaimed, implying that, perhaps, some ministers should take lessons in confidentiality and professionalism. And really, who wouldn’t enjoy a little ministerial discretion?
Macron Blasts Back
In a rare display of French passion, Macron rallied against journalists and commentators advising them to apply some critical thinking to their findings. “If words that are reported, truncated, and distorted are no longer reliable, then why bother holding press conferences at all?” he remarked. Well, Emmanuel, if you keep feeding them juicy remarks, they’re bound to get creative with the sauce, aren’t they?
With a touch of theatrical flair—because, let’s face it, this is politics after all—he declared, “I think I say enough about the Middle East situation that I don’t need a ventriloquist.” If a ventriloquist is what he fears… we can only imagine the puppet show that the news cycle must feel like sometimes. French presidents and insults in the same breath? Who knew diplomacy could be as amusing as a stand-up set?
Final Thoughts
So here we are, with Macron appearing to pluck at the strings of diplomacy whilst juggling international relations like a circus act. The balance of power has never been easy, and let’s admit, sometimes it’s the comments made over a glass of vin rouge that get the best reactions. All we can do is grab our popcorn and watch this political drama unfold. After all, who needs Netflix when you have real-life diplomacy providing its own brand of entertainment?
Until next time, stay tuned, stay cheeky, and maybe keep an eye out for unsolicited comments from world leaders—because in their world, nothing is truly off the record!
By John Timsit
Published yesterday at 10:22 p.m., updated 1 hour ago
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The President of the Republic is said to have declared in the Council of Ministers that the Israeli Prime Minister should “not forget that his country was created by a UN decision”.
Emmanuel Macron gave himself a few days to respond. After comments reported by the President of the Republic in the Council of Ministers this Tuesday, according to which he suggested to Benjamin Netanyahu not to “forget that your country was created by a UN decision”– in order to “let him not break free” of the international body -, the head of state suffered a wave of criticism from Jewish institutions in France and a large part of the political class. While provoking a lively controversy with the Israeli Prime Minister.
From Brussels this Thursday evening, he firmly denounced these leaks which he considers distorted. “The Councils of Ministers are reported to the press by the government spokesperson (Maud Bregeon, NDLR) and a press release”reminded the Head of State from the outset. Who then saw fit to accuse his ministers, present every week around the Élysée table, of a “lack of professionalism”. “It is up to each participant to be respectful of the rules and their functions out of ethics, out of personal discipline so as not to circulate false, truncated or taken out of context information,” he hissed.
“No need for a ventriloquist”
“Stunned” by these so-called bad interpretations, Emmanuel Macron took advantage of his intervention to also attack the “journalists and commentators”advising them to “treat rumors and reported remarks with the necessary precautions.” “If words that are reported, truncated and distorted are included in quotation marks, there is no longer any point in holding press conferences or answering your questions,” he thundered in front of his audience, seeing in it the sign of a “disintegration of public debate”. And to conclude, visibly annoyed: “I think I say enough about the situation in the Middle East that I don’t need a ventriloquist.” As a warning for the future.
