"Israel has never had any relations with Le Pen's National Rally party," Pazner said. "One of its founders, Marine's father, was openly anti-Semitic. So any dealings with him were out of question, and we still stick to this policy. If she ends up being elected, it will be a whole new ball game".
No Change in Policies
"He is likely to continue the official policy of France in the Middle East," says Pazner. "Traditionally speaking, that policy presupposed maintaining stable relations with Israel and even better ones with Arab states," he added.
"Just as it was before, Macron is very dedicated to the idea of renewing the talks between Israel and the Palestinians [that have been on hold since 2013 - ed.]. This is unlikely to happen but he will probably continue to stick to his somewhat unsuccessful policy, and this means that France will lose opportunities," said Pazner.
Rising Opportunities
"The country is looking to decrease its dependency on Russian energy. And to do so they will need to seek the support of the Gulf. But they will also need Israel and its rich gas reserves. It will not happen soon but in the long run Paris will become more pragmatic," he concluded.