‘Normalizing Hezbollah’ – Macron slammed for weakness on terror

Critics argue Macron is “working against” Lebanon’s best interests by maintaining neutrality on the Iranian terror proxy.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli officials have asked the Trump administration to exclude France from ongoing peace negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, currently taking place in Washington, D.C..

The request reflects growing frustration in Jerusalem over France’s bias and ineffective approach toward Hezbollah.

French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly taken a critical stance toward Israel’s military operations against Hezbollah, while failing to apply meaningful pressure on the Iranian terror proxy.

“France’s conduct over the past year — including initiatives aimed at limiting Israel’s ability to fight Iran, and a complete lack of willingness to take concrete steps to help Lebanon disarm Hezbollah — has led Israel to view France as an unfair mediator,” an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post.

Israeli concerns are also rooted in Macron’s past engagement with Hezbollah-linked figures. The French leader reportedly met with a senior Hezbollah official in 2020.

Since then, the president has not provided tangible support for the Lebanese government’s efforts to rein in the terror group.

François-Xavier Bellamy, a political rival of Macron, recently said on French television that Paris “must stop normalizing Hezbollah” by treating it as a legitimate political entity.

Israeli security experts have echoed these concerns. Brigadier General (Res.) Yosef Kuperwasser told Fox News Digital that Macron’s reluctance to condemn Hezbollah amounts to “working against the best interests of the Lebanese state and government.” He added that such neutrality is “problematic” and undermines efforts to stabilize Lebanon.

Kuperwasser emphasized that Israel wants to see concrete action from Beirut, not just rhetoric. “Lebanon has a lot to gain” from defanging Hezbollah, he said, urging the Lebanese government to take meaningful steps to disarm the group.

Meanwhile, Edy Cohen, an expert on Lebanese affairs, said that Macron’s position is shaped by domestic and regional pressures. He told Fox News Digital that the French president faces backlash from the Lebanese public if France openly confronts Hezbollah.

Such a stance, Cohen argued, effectively forces France to avoid strong criticism of the group in order to maintain its influence in Lebanon — raising further questions about its role as a neutral broker in the high-stakes negotiations.