Netanyahu rebukes Macron over French riots, warns against appeasing extremists

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized French President Emmanuel Macron over recent riots in France, saying French authorities "surrendered to the invasion of extreme Islam" and urging them to fight extremists rather than appease them. In an interview with i24News, Netanyahu claimed he had warned Macron after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that the threat would spread beyond the Middle East, saying "if we don't eliminate them here, you'll have them in Paris." He linked the riots to Islamist extremism, though no evidence has emerged that Islamist groups organized the unrest, which began over cost-of-living and education concerns. The remarks come amid strained France-Israel relations following France's September 2025 recognition of a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu previously condemned as fueling antisemitism. His rhetoric echoes arguments often made by far-right figures in Europe regarding immigration and Islamic influence.