PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to freeze Israeli settlement building during their talks in Paris on Sunday.

“It seems to me that freezing settlement building and confidence measures with regard to the Palestinian authority are important acts to start with, which we discussed with Prime Minister Neta­nyahu,” he said.

Macron “firmly and clearly” condemned all kinds of attacks against Israel in recent hours and days, following the meeting.

Macron also reaffirmed his “disapproval” of US President Donald Trump’s move to recognise Jeru­salem as the capital of Israel.

Macron said “what’s new is that the United States unilaterally recognised something that is not complying with the international law.”

He appealed for calm in the Middle East and asked Netanyahu to make gestures towards the Pale­stinians to “give a chance” to peace. Macron said a gesture could be a settlement freeze.

The French president said he wants to wait for a potential US “mediation” in coming weeks and mon­ths and would only support an initiative that would be acceptable by Israelis, Palestinians and other parties in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not take any lectures from President Tayyip Erdogan after the Turkish leader criticised Israel over the weekend.

“Mr Erdogan has attacked Israel. I’m not used to receiving lectures about morality from a leader who bombs Kurdish villages in his native Turkey, who jails journalists, helps Iran go around international sanctions and who helps terrorists, including in Gaza, kill innocent people,”

Neta­nyahu told reporters at a news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2017