Israel has refused to allow France to participate in upcoming direct talks with Lebanon, scheduled to begin next week in Washington, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
An Israeli official explained that France’s conduct over the past year — including efforts seen as limiting Israel’s ability to operate against Iran and a lack of concrete action to help Lebanon disarm Hezbollah terrorists — has led Jerusalem to view Paris as an unreliable and biased mediator.
The decision comes amid rising frustration in Israel over France’s recent actions, especially following the joint US-Israeli strike on Iran. France reportedly blocked US aircraft transporting weapons to Israel from using its airspace, further straining relations between the countries.
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