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What Netanyahu told Macron in Paris

French President Emmanuel Macron’s warm welcome in Paris of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shouldn’t fool Jerusalem; France will continue to criticize settlement construction and continue the quest for the two-state solution.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu react after making a joint declaration at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, July 16, 2017. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe - RTX3BNWB
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PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron got a fair share of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s time on July 16. The two men participated in a ceremony marking 75 years since the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup of French Jews during World War II. They then had a two-hour meeting at the Elysee Palace.

The parameters of the Netanyahu-Macron Elysee rendezvous resembled those of Macron’s July 5 meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: a face-to-face meeting followed by declarations to the press. The media were there to record and publish only; no questions were allowed. The same was true with Netanyahu. Macron read his statement, Netanyahu said what he had to say. End of story.

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