Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused France on Tuesday of succumbing to an “invasion of extremist Islam”, in provocative remarks criticising the country after weekend protests over economic conditions degenerated into riots in major cities.
The comments echo the language of far-right politicians and commentators across the Western world who have made baseless claims that parts of Europe, such as Britain, have come under Islamic law because of immigration — assertions that have drawn widespread accusations of Islamophobia.
Speaking in an interview, the right-wing prime minister faulted French leaders for failing to prepare for the unrest, claiming it was fuelled by extremist Muslims despite the diverse mix of French society that took to the streets in major cities, including the capital Paris.
“They did not prepare in time, they simply gave up. They succumbed to the invasion of extremist Islam,” Netanyahu said, according to the interpreter’s French translation aired on the French-language channel i24News.
Asked what advice he would offer France, Netanyahu said: “Fight back, do not pursue a policy of appeasement — fight against the extremists,” without elaborating.
He added that he had warned French President Emmanuel Macron after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that “if we do not eliminate them here, you will have them in Paris — and that is exactly what is happening”, without providing evidence for the claim.
Ties between Israel and France have been strained since Paris joined a number of other European countries in recognising Palestinian statehood last year, a move that infuriated Israel.
US President Donald Trump also seized on the French protests to blame immigration, urging Europe and Macron to tighten their borders. “What’s happening in France has to do with immigration, not schools, not anything,” Trump told reporters in Washington on Monday. “It’s immigration, and I told President Emmanuel Macron, close up your borders.”
Trump made combating illegal immigration a central pledge of his 2024 campaign, at times relying on false claims that played on racial fears.
The French remarks are not the first time Netanyahu has invoked such rhetoric about a European ally. In August, he derisively called Britain an “Islamic republic”, drawing condemnation from London, which described the comments as “completely unacceptable”.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/france-hit-by-extremist-muslims-invasion-claims-benjamin-netanyahu-amid-protests-12212691#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-10-21 02:34:00
