There is a crisis of confidence that has been created between France and Israel, according to Israeli ambassador Joshua

Following the exchange between Jean-Noël Barrot and the Israeli ambassador to the United States, his counterpart in France believes, Wednesday on franceinfo, that “it is preferable to have this kind of discussion in personal conversations rather than on screens.”

“There is a crisis of confidence that has been created” between France and Israel, according to the Israeli ambassador in France, Joshua Zarka, on Wednesday, April 15, on franceinfo. “There are differences between us and France, they have been known and they are known, it is not new,” he adds.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday following direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington, his counterpart in the United States, Yechiel Leiter, stated: “We would like to keep the French as far away as possible from practically everything, but especially when it comes to peace negotiations.” In response, the Minister of Foreign Affairs suggested he stay away “from microphones and television cameras.” Regarding these comments from Jean-Noël Barrot and Yechiel Leiter, Joshua Zarka believes that “it is preferable to have this kind of discussion in personal conversations rather than on screens.”

The discussions between Israel and Lebanon that began on Tuesday in Washington mark “the beginning of a process that will be very long, but at the end of which we will have a peace agreement” with Lebanon, according to the Israeli ambassador in France. These discussions are also intended to lead “to the complete disarmament of Hezbollah, as should have been done for over 20 years”, added the diplomat.

A “difficult” process, but “that does not mean it is impossible,” according to Joshua Zarka, who acknowledges that “there is a real willingness on the part of the Lebanese government to engage in disarming Hezbollah, which unfortunately has not been the case until now.” “The President and the Prime Minister have made very clear statements on this matter,” according to the ambassador, statements that are “very important.”

Israeli strikes continue in southern Lebanon during these discussions “because Hezbollah continues to fire at Israel,” responds Joshua Zarka, who asserts that “Hezbollah initiated this war.” Israel and Hezbollah have been bombarding each other since March 2, resulting in over 2,000 deaths in Lebanon and 13 in Israel. According to the ambassador, “despite our messages, threats, Hezbollah has decided to fire thousands of missiles and rockets at Israel.” “We are in a situation where we are obliged to do everything in our power to disarm Hezbollah and finally allow our two countries, Israel and Lebanon, to live next to each other in peace,” adds the diplomat.