JERUSALEM // Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday called on the French government to distance itself from the “miserable action” of French telecom operator Orange, after the company said it will cut business ties with the Jewish state.
Mr Netanyahu was reacting to comments by the chief executive of Orange Stephane Richard, who said on Wednesday that he would end his company’s relationship with Partner Communications “tomorrow” if he could.
The Israeli premier called on the French government to “distance itself publicly from the miserable statement and the miserable action of a company that is partially owned by the government of France”.
Orange, which is partly controlled by the French government, confirmed on Thursday that it wanted to withdraw its brand from Israel but insisted its decision to end its brand-licensing agreement with Partner as not politically motivated.
It said it did not want to maintain a presence in countries where Orange itself was not a phone provider, and that the move was “in conformity with its brand policy”.
Orange said it “has no reason to take part ... in a debate of a political nature”.
The storm erupted on Wednesday when Mr Richard said in Cairo that the company was planning to withdraw from Israel.
Although he did not directly refer to the question of settlements, his remarks came after the publication on May 6 of a report accusing the telecoms giant of indirectly supporting settlement activity through its relationship with Partner.
Five non-governmental organisations and two unions in France asked Orange to state publicly its willingness to sever its ties with Partner and denounce “attacks on human rights” allegedly carried out by the Israeli firm.
The report alleged that Partner’s business activities were contributing to the economic viability of the settlements and perpetuating a situation considered illegal by the international community.
Mr Richard’s remarks touched a raw nerve in the Jewish state which is growing increasingly concerned about global boycott efforts and the effect on its image abroad.
It drew a furious response from Israeli officials as well as from Partner, Israel’s second largest mobile operator which operates under the Orange brand name.
Deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely wrote to Mr Richard urging him “to clarify the matter” and warning him not to become party to “the industry of lies which unfairly targets Israel”.
Isaac Benbenisti, who will become chairman of Partner on July 1, said he was “very, very angry”. He accused Mr Richard of caving in to “very significant pressure” from pro-Palestinian activists and joining a global campaign to isolate Israel.
Partner has been attacked by rights groups for operating in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
French human rights groups have been pushing their government and Orange to end the relationship over Partner’s activities in Israeli settlements.
Israeli officials say the so-called BDS movement is not out to promote peace, but instead aims to “delegitimize” the country’s very existence as a Jewish state.
The crisis comes after days of introspection in Israel over its place in the world, with the government railing against what it has denounced as a campaign of delegitimisation.
Israel has been struggling to tackle a growing Palestinian-led boycott campaign which has had a number of high-profile successes.
Known as the BDS movement — boycott, divestment and sanctions — it aims to exert political and economic pressure over Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories in a bid to repeat the success of the campaign which ended apartheid in South Africa.
This week, Britain’s National Union of Students voted to affiliate itself with the BDS movement, in a move which drew a sharp rebuke from Mr Netanyahu.
Last week, Israel narrowly avoided expulsion from Fifa after the Palestinians withdrew a resolution calling on it to ban its Israeli counterpart over restrictions on Palestinian footballers and the presence of five teams inside Jewish settlements.
* Agence France-Presse and Associated Press
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