Macron UN Gaza and West Bank criticism triggers Israeli backlash over translation
Macron used his final UN General Assembly speech to criticise Gaza peace efforts and West Bank settlements, drawing an Israeli backlash and a translation dispute.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
French President Emmanuel Macron used his address to the UN General Assembly to criticise the slow pace of peace efforts in Gaza and Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. It was his final speech as French leader before he leaves office next year.
Macron said no humanitarian corridors had been opened since a ceasefire deal last year and described conditions in Gaza as a 'spectacle that shames us all'. He dismissed President Donald Trump's claims of having secured peace in Gaza, pointing to the lack of reopened humanitarian corridors. The White House responded by saying that while others talk, President Trump had taken on the region's complex problems, adding that no one had done more for peace and stability.
On the West Bank, Macron criticised Israeli actions and the approval of swathes of new settlements. He said there were violations every day despite Hamas never having governed there. A translation error turned part of that into an English rendering that Hamas never struck the West Bank, which led to a diplomatic incident. The Israeli prime minister's office called the remark a grotesque absurdity and said Hamas had carried out numerous attacks. It also pointed to the deadly shooting of a French Israeli settler last Sunday by a Palestinian gunman in the West Bank.
More leaders were expected to criticise Israel at the UN on Wednesday. Jordan's King Abdullah had accused governments of failing to see what he called Israel's creeping territorial expansion in the Middle East, including in Syria. Syria's leader was also due to speak.
Later, a meeting of the Board of Peace was expected to unveil a six-month recovery plan for Gaza. Reports said it would be the most comprehensive roadmap yet for the early months of recovery, covering rubble removal, more durable shelters and the basics of reconstruction, at a cost of close to 2.5 billion dollars. Any plan needs cooperation from both Israel and Hamas, and progress has been stuck. The Board's plan calls for Hamas to give up its weapons in exchange for an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza. Israel has rejected that, and the general view is that little progress can be achieved until Israel's general election at the end of next month is over.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News |
|---|---|
| A minor translation error caused a diplomatic incident between France and Israel. | |
| A six-month recovery plan for Gaza is expected to be unveiled at a Board of Peace meeting. | |
| Macron criticised Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank, including approval of new settlements. | |
| Macron said no humanitarian corridors had opened in Gaza and criticised conditions there. | |
| The Israeli Prime Minister's office rejected Macron's criticism and said Hamas had carried out numerous attacks. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
A straightforward news report on Macron's UN address, focused on his criticism of the slow Gaza peace process and Israeli settlement expansion. It highlights the humanitarian corridor point and the Israeli prime minister's office rejection, but does not cover the later translation clarification or the expected Board of Peace recovery plan.
- “President Macron of France used his address to the UN General Assembly to criticise the pace of peace efforts in Gaza.”
- “He said, no humanitarian corridors had been opened and described conditions in the territory as a spectacle that shames us all.”
- “The French leader also criticised Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank where the government has approved swathes of new settlements.”
Frames Macron's speech as part of wider UN diplomatic pressure on Israel, leading on the translation error that caused a France-Israel incident. It adds the White House response, the Israeli rejection, and details of an expected six-month Gaza recovery plan from the Board of Peace.
- “Mr Macron saying it was a spectacle that must shame everyone.”
- “a small translation mistake led to a diplomatic incident between France and Israel.”
- “The Israeli prime minister's office called this a grotesque absurdity and pointing out that there was this deadly shooting of a French Israeli settler last Sunday by a Palestinian gunman in the West Bank.”
Who was on air
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- 12:17 BST
- 12:17 BST
Israeli prime minister's office
“And then the Israeli prime minister's office”
BBC News Now · Wed 23 Sept - 12:19 BST
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