French FM tells Israeli envoy to “stay away from microphones” amid Lebanon row

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has sharply responded to remarks by Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, who urged France to be kept “as far away as possible” from negotiations on Lebanon.

The Israeli diplomat said he did not want to see French involvement in the peace process between Israel and Lebanon, which is being mediated in Washington, Caliber.Az reports, citing French media.

In response, Barrot sarcastically described the ambassador as “very diplomatic and subtle.”

“He seems determined to reduce as much as possible the number of partner countries that Lebanon will need for reconstruction,” Barrot said on the sidelines of an international conference on Sudan in Berlin.

The French foreign minister also suggested that the Israeli representative should “stay away from microphones and television cameras.”

Barrot added that he was “satisfied” that the Israeli government had responded to France’s request and accepted Beirut’s “outstretched hand” to strengthen the ceasefire, begin a coordinated process of disarming Hezbollah, and eventually resolve the long-standing dispute between the two countries.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov