Benjamin Netanyahu’s military actions in the Middle East have sparked criticism from Bernard Kouchner. On Radio J on Sunday, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs deplored the “disproportionate war” led by Israel in Gaza which led, according to him, to anti-Semitism in France.
“How can we not be anti-Semitic when we see the damage done by the Israeli army? Contemplate Gaza, it is still a field of murders, of disasters. It’s the breakdown of families,” he said.
An outraged former humanitarian
“Of course there was (the Hamas attacks) on October 7 (2023). And God knows it revolted me. But take revenge with 40,000 deaths, if the figure is true…” he added before being interrupted by the journalist. “You say with what is happening in Gaza, it is normal for us to be anti-Semitic? », asked journalist Frédéric Haziza. “It’s not normal, but the reaction can be that,” he continued.
Bernard Kouchner, head of diplomacy from 2007 to 2010 under the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy, stressed that as a former humanitarian, he could only be outraged. “We massacred a lot of people. This is a deadly reaction. I am not satisfied with it,” he lamented. “I have spent my life caring for people.”
Anti-Semitism, “it’s the science of imbeciles”
Nicknamed the “French doctor”, Bernard Kouchner, who created Médecins du Monde, spent years treating children in Afghanistan, rescuing boat people in the China Sea, and even traveling through war-torn Lebanon and besieged Sarajevo. “Anti-Semitism is the science of fools. It is a very deep evil. France has always been anti-Semitic,” he also reacted.
Our file on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
In the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel, anti-Semitic acts jumped by 1,000% in the last quarter of 2023. Since the start of 2024, they have almost tripled, with “887 acts” recorded in the first half of the year, according to the latest figures. authorities compared to the same period a year earlier.
Related News :