Netanyahu criticizes French response to recent unrest

On October 21, 2026, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply criticized the French government's handling of violent riots and looting that occurred over the weekend. In an interview with i24News, Netanyahu accused the French leadership of having 'given in to the invasion of extremist Islam' and failing to prepare effectively for the unrest.

Netanyahu advised French authorities to abandon any policy of appeasement, urging them to instead 'fight the extremists.' The Israeli Prime Minister claimed that he had previously warned French President Emmanuel Macron following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, stating, 'If we do not eliminate them here, you will have them in Paris.' He asserted that the current instability in France validates this earlier warning, suggesting that the threats he described have now manifested on French soil.