Senior Israeli diplomat mocks France for calling UNSC meeting on Lebanon

A senior Israeli diplomat has mocked Paris after it summoned an extraordinary UN Security Council meeting over West Jerusalem’s actions in Lebanon, pointing at France’s domestic troubles.

Over the past few days, Israel has intensified its bombing campaign in the country and advanced deeper into Lebanese territory despite the purported ceasefire announced more than six weeks ago. The Israeli troops seized the Beaufort Castle, a 900-year-old Crusader fortress, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed the military “to expand its ground maneuver in Lebanon.”

On Sunday, Paris requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council over the latest developments in Lebanon. Announcing the decision, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot argued that “nothing can justify the continuation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and its ever-deepening occupation of Lebanese territory.”

Israel’s political advisor to the permanent representative of Israel to the United Nations, Waleed Gadban, took to X to mock France’s request. The senior diplomat shared footage from the chaotic celebrations in Paris after local football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) won the Champions League, apparently implying France should focus on its domestic affairs instead. “Meanwhile in Paris,” he wrote.

The PSG’s victory has triggered widespread rioting across the French capital and beyond, with nearly 800 people arrested amid the chaos. The celebrations left more than 200 persons injured, with at least one other killed in a road accident. Some 57 law enforcement officers were also injured while trying to quell the unrest.