French President Emmanuel Macron protested to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call last week after Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli spoke in support of Macron’s rival in the recent elections, far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, a French official told The Times of Israel.
The official confirmed earlier reporting by the Walla news outlet, which noted that Netanyahu told Macron he had instructed his ministers to not make public remarks regarding France’s parliamentary elections.
The day before the July 3 call, Chikli indicated in an interview that Israeli leadership would be happy to see Le Pen eventually become president of France, remarks the French viewed as an intervention in their internal politics.
Fossil
Article URL : https://www.timesofisrael.com/macron-complained-to-netanyahu-after-likud-minister-publicly-backed-marine-le-pen/