Prime Minister Netanyahu slammed French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian for his statement this week that Israel is at risk of “long-lasting apartheid” if the two-state solution is not implemented.

Netanyahu, speaking at an event in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, said: “I want to express a strong protest against the French government over the outrageous statement of the French Foreign Minister. He said that Israel could become an apartheid state, a brazen, false claim that has no basis.”

“In the State of Israel, all citizens are equal before the law, regardless of their origin,” the prime minister stressed. “The State of Israel is the beacon of democracy and human rights in our region, the only true democracy in our region. It has always been – and it will always be. We will not tolerate any hypocritical and false preachings of morality on this issue.”

Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi called the French Ambassador to Israel Éric Danon for a reprimand on Thursday, telling him that the foreign minister’s remarks are “unacceptable, baseless and far from reality and Israel rejects them outright.”

“Israel expects its friends not to express themselves in an irresponsible manner which provides impetus to extremist elements and anti-Israel activity,” Ashkenazi said.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)