Israeli minister: Macron’s visa push ignores incitement, fuels instability

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has sharply criticised French President Emmanuel Macron on X after the latter denounced Israel’s refusal to grant visas to Palestinian Authority officials.

“President Macron is very interested in visas to the United States for Palestinian Authority officials. That is what keeps him awake at night,” Saar said, responding to the French leader’s comments.

He accused Macron of overlooking incitement against Israel in Palestinian schools while focusing on secondary issues.

“He does not protest against the rampant incitement in the Palestinian education system against Israel and Jews. He also does not object to the payments transferred by the Palestinian Authority to terrorists and their families under the ‘pay for slay’ method. The more severe the act of terror, the higher the reward paid by the Palestinian Authority,” Saar added.

The Israeli minister argued that Macron’s intervention was misguided and destabilising. “Macron is trying to intervene from the outside in a conflict to which he is not a party, in a manner completely disconnected from the reality on the ground after October 7th,” he said.

According to Saar, the French president’s approach risks worsening regional instability. “Macron undermines the stability of the region with his actions and drags the regional and international system toward unilateral steps. His actions are dangerous. They will not bring peace nor security,” he concluded.

The Trump administration has suspended almost all categories of visitor visas for holders of Palestinian passports, according to American officials. The restrictions, set out in an August 18 State Department cable to US embassies and consulates, block entry for Palestinians seeking non-immigrant visas for purposes such as medical care, university studies, family visits or business travel.

The policy, which applies to those travelling solely on Palestinian passports issued since the 1990s following agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation, does not affect dual nationals or Palestinians who already hold valid visas. Consular officers were instructed to rely on section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 when rejecting applications from Palestinian Authority passport holders.

Reacting to the decision, French President Emmanuel Macron said on September 2 that Washington’s refusal to grant visas to Palestinian officials for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York was “unacceptable” and should be overturned. “We call for this measure to be reversed and for Palestinian representation to be ensured in accordance with the Host Country Agreement,” he wrote on X.

By Aghakazim Guliyev