France’s foreign minister on Friday said Paris was “firmly opposed” to any boycott of Israel as a row raged over telecom group Orange’s decision to withdraw its brand from the Jewish state.
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“Although it is for the president of the Orange group to determine the commercial strategy of the company, France is firmly opposed to a boycott of Israel,” Laurent Fabius said in a statement.
“Also, France and the European Union have a consistent policy on settlement-building that is known to all,” added Fabius.
Israeli leaders had urged Paris on Thursday to condemn the pullout, as some 13 percent of the company’s stocks are held by the French government.
Meanwhile, French telecom firm Orange said Friday that its move to withdraw its brand from the Israeli market was a purely business decision, insisting: “We love Israel.”
The company’s chairman and chief executive Stephane Richard said an international campaign to boycott Israel had played no part in the decision.
“This has nothing to do with Israel, we love Israel, we are in Israel, in the enterprise market, we invest money in innovation in Israel, we are a friend of Israel, so this has absolutely nothing to do with any kind of political debate, in which I don’t want to be,” Richard told Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
Orange CEO Stephane Richard (YouTube screen capture)
Orange CEO Stephane Richard (YouTube screen capture)
“It is a purely commercial point regarding the use of our brand by the company (Partner Communications) under a license agreement, we don’t want to do that,” he said.
“I was not aware there is a kind of international campaign regarding this. I am very sorry about that.”
Richard had triggered an uproar on Wednesday when he told reporters in Cairo he was ready to “withdraw from Israel” as soon as “tomorrow morning… but without exposing Orange to huge risks” and potential compensation claims from Partner.
His remarks touched a raw nerve in Israel which is growing increasingly concerned about its international image.
Richard’s latest statements seemed inconsistent with those he made on Wednesday. In Cairo, the company head had explained to his audience: “I know that it is a sensitive issue here in Egypt, but not only in Egypt … We want to be one of the trustful partners of all Arab countries.”
He added that profit from the Israeli market was negligible. “The interest for us is certainly not a financial interest. If you take those amounts on one side and on the other side the time that we spend to explain this, to try to find a solution and the consequences that we have to manage here but also in France, believe me it’s a very bad deal,” he said.
Partner pays to use the Orange name and operates in Israel and in settlements in the West Bank. This has elicited calls by supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) that Orange pull its brand from the country.
Israeli flags are seen inside the "Partner Orange" Communications Company offices in the city of Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel, Thursday, June 4, 2015. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty)
Israeli flags are seen inside the “Partner Orange” Communications Company offices in the city of Rosh Ha’ayin, Israel, Thursday, June 4, 2015. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty)
Richard’s Cairo comments followed the publication last month of a report accusing Orange of indirectly supporting Israeli settlements in the West Bank through its relationship with Partner.
The report by five mainly French NGOs and two trade unions urged Orange to cut business ties and publicly declare its desire to avoid contributing to the economic viability of the settlements, which are regarded as illegal under international law.
Israel on Thursday urged the French government to condemn the Orange move.
“I call on the French government to publicly denounce the despicable statement and miserable actions of a company that is under partial French government ownership,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
President Reuven Rivlin said he found it “troubling” that “I haven’t yet heard condemnations by the French leadership of the comments by the Orange CEO, as I’ve heard from Britain.”
“I expect that their voices will be heard here in Israel, in Cairo, and in the entire world.”
Israeli-American media mogul Haim Saban, who holds a controlling share of Partner Communications, accused the French company of buckling to pressure from anti-Semitic groups.