Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told French President Emmanuel Macron, “Paris is the capital of France, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel”, as they met in Paris amid heightened tensions in the West Bank.
Macron and Netanyahu conceded that they held opposing views on US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital during a joint press conference on Sunday.
The French President reaffirmed his disapproval of Mr Trump’s controversial move, saying the US had “unilaterally recognised something that is not complying with international law.”
However, Netanyahu told Macron the city had been the “capital of Israel for 3,000 years.”
Macron appealed for calm in the Middle East and asked the Israeli premier to “give peace a chance” by offering a gesture to Palestinians, such as a settlement freeze on the West Bank.
Mr Netanyahu said: “Paris is the capital of France, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel – it has been the capital of Israel for 3,000 years and the capital of the Jewish state for 70 years. We respect your history and choices and we know that France will respect ours.”
