Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused France of surrendering to “the invasion of extremist Islam,” weighing in on the violence that erupted across the country over the weekend during student demonstrations and protests over purchasing power.
Speaking in an interview with the French-language channel i24News on Tuesday, October 20, the Israeli leader offered an unsubstantiated interpretation of the situation, asserting that French authorities had failed to anticipate the unrest.
Netanyahu: ‘They Simply Gave Up’
“They did not prepare in time, they simply gave up, they ceded to the invasion of extremist Islam,” Netanyahu declared during the broadcast.
The Israeli prime minister went further, warning that the consequences would extend beyond France’s borders. “Whether you are Christian or Muslim, they will devour you all, they will devour France, they will devour Europe,” he said.
When asked what advice he would offer France, Netanyahu was unequivocal: “Fight, do not play the appeasement card, fight against the extremists.” He added that “the West has only one ally ready to fight [for you], and that is Israel.”
Echoes of Trump’s Rhetoric
Netanyahu’s remarks closely mirror those of US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly made alarmist statements about the situation in France in recent days, similarly disregarding factual accuracy.
Speaking at a campaign rally for the midterm elections on Monday, Trump described France as “taken over, pillaged and burned by migrants, jihadists and communists.” On his Truth Social network, he had also claimed that “migrants have conquered France,” before calling on French authorities to close their borders.
Controversial Link to October 7 Attack
Netanyahu went further still, explicitly connecting the weekend violence to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. He claimed to have warned French President Emmanuel Macron following that attack.
“If we do not eliminate them, you will have them in Paris,” Netanyahu said he told Macron, adding: “That is exactly what is happening.”
This connection appears highly tenuous, as no evidence links the weekend violence—which occurred on the margins of demonstrations—to an “invasion of extremist Islam.”
Diplomatic Tensions Deepen
These declarations are unlikely to improve Franco-Israeli relations, which have deteriorated significantly in recent months. Since France’s recognition of the State of Palestine in September 2025, Netanyahu has sharply criticized Macron, accusing him of “fueling the antisemitic fire” in France.
The weekend violence saw widespread unrest across French cities, with authorities implementing curfews in several locations, including Paris, where the measures had unexpected consequences for some residents.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has faced scrutiny over the government’s handling of the situation, with critics questioning the intelligence and police strategy deployed during the unrest.
