Lost in translation: Israel, Huckabee blast Macron over Hamas comments as France clarifies wording

France's Emmanuel Macron drew sharp pushback from Israeli and American officials after remarks at the United Nations General Assembly's opening session on Tuesday were translated as saying Hamas had never operated in the West Bank. Macron made the comment while criticizing Israeli conduct in the West Bank and questioning its rationale for actions there, part of a broader day of UN speeches in which multiple leaders faulted Israel over displacement of Palestinians even with a ceasefire in place, prompting President Donald Trump to push back forcefully in defense of Israel's response to the October 7 Hamas attacks, according to Fox News.

Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon disputed Macron directly on social media, noting that a French citizen had been killed in the West Bank just two days earlier and urging Macron to verify his facts before criticizing Israel. Under press inquiry, a French Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Macron's point was that Hamas does not exercise governing control over the West Bank, and that his words should not be taken to mean otherwise.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee amplified a rebuttal from Israel's Minister of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism, Amichai Chikli, calling Macron's speech badly out of touch and describing Hamas as a murderous group responsible for American deaths. Chikli's post tallied more than 80 deadly Hamas attacks traced to the West Bank since 1990, killing over 350 Israeli civilians.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →