Israel – Investiture of the Government – Statement by M. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs (19 May 20)

France extends its congratulations to Mr Benjamin Natanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, and Mr Benjamin Gantz, Deputy Prime Minister, on their investiture and that of their government. In the spirit of friendship and cooperation prevailing over French-Israeli relations, France reaffirms its desire to continue working with the new Israeli Government in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and in the many substantive areas of our relations, as well as its unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security and, alongside Israel, to regional security.

In this respect, France reaffirms its commitment to a fair, lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With this in mind, it calls on the Israeli authorities to refrain from any unilateral measure which would lead to the annexation of all or part of the Palestinian Territories. As the European Union’s High Representative Josep Borrell said, such a decision would violate international law and seriously undermine the two-state solution. This could not be without consequences for the European Union’s relations with Israel. France remains fully prepared to support any effort aimed at resuming negotiations between the parties, the only path towards peace, security and regional stability./.