The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot, delivered a statement to the press following his meeting with Minister Israel Katz.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am back in Jerusalem, for the second time in a month. On October 7, I was on the site of the Nova festival, one year after the worst anti-Semitic massacre in our history since the Shoah, to pay tribute to all the victims, French and Israeli. I will never forget the dignity of their families and loved ones.
I will never forget the heroism of these young people who gave their lives that morning so that others could save theirs. Because on that day, a little over a year ago, the people of Israel, the Jewish people, were struck in their flesh by terrorism. It is a very deep, very violent trauma, which cannot be underestimated or minimized. An unspeakable horror which was keenly felt in France, and which awakened the frightful memories of the Hypercacher and the Bataclan
Today, I returned to Jerusalem, because I believe that a perspective has opened up to put an end to the tragedy in which Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region have been plunged since October 7.
On the one hand, the very significant tactical successes obtained by Israel, and in particular the elimination of Yahia Sinouar, architect of this vile massacre, favor the end of military operations.
On the other hand, a new American president has been elected. He has never made a secret of his desire to put an end to the endless wars in the Middle East.
The conditions therefore seem to me to be ripe to move, in the coming weeks, towards a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflicts. Because force alone cannot guarantee the security of Israel, and even less so that of the region that these wars have brought to the edge of the abyss; military successes cannot replace a political perspective. This is the position of France, it is the position of the President of the Republic.
In Lebanon, first. With more than 3,000 dead, more than 10,000 injured, and more than a million displaced people, the war risks plunging this fragile country into lasting chaos, threatening Israel's security even more than today.
We must therefore seek a diplomatic solution that allows the return of all displaced people, Israelis and Lebanese alike, and guarantees the security of both countries. Our horizon must be that of a strong, sovereign Lebanese state, with a monopoly on legitimate force, which will be able to live in security alongside Israel.
I came to discuss in detail and concretely, with Ministers Israel KATZ just now, and shortly Ron DERMER, the parameters of an agreement allowing the cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of resolution 1701 of the United Nations Security Council.
France will continue to play a central role in diplomatic efforts towards a settlement, as we did on October 24 in Paris by bringing together more than 70 countries and international organizations, which made it possible to mobilize more than one billion dollars for humanitarian aid to the population of Lebanon and support for that country's security forces.
Then in Gaza. Earlier, I met the families of the two French hostages still held in the hell of captivity in Gaza for more than a year, like dozens of Israelis: Ofer KALDERON and Ohad YAHOLAMI.
Their family, which I remind you, includes children who were released a few months ago, in tears and who are today trying painfully to rebuild themselves, after the terrible ordeal they had to go through.
It is time to move towards an agreement that allows the release of all hostages, a ceasefire and the massive entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and to prepare for the 'day after'.
I say it as a friend: Israel has the right to defend itself, while respecting international law. But the continuation of bombings in North Gaza against civilian populations and infrastructure, restrictions on access to humanitarian aid, violence by extremist settlers in the West Bank, the rapid increase in colonization, the weakening of The Palestinian Authority, the delegitimization of the United Nations and its main agency on the ground, are not only contrary to all principles of international law, but also to the interests and security of Israel.
The Palestinian question is not going to disappear, regardless of which American administration is in charge.
Sooner or later, and the sooner the better, we will have to engage in a political perspective to provide a just and lasting response, which guarantees the security of all and the regional integration of Israel.
I will soon go to the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud ABBAS and his Prime Minister Mohammed MOUSTAPHA, to address all these questions.
These efforts to find a diplomatic solution to regional conflicts cannot ignore Iran, the main support of Hamas and Hezbollah. The Iranian attack perpetrated on October 1, which we helped to ward off, like that of April was unacceptable. Israel had the right to respond: it did so with force, but also with moderation. The escalation must now stop. And Iran must end its race towards nuclear weapons, which threatens the fundamental interests of both Israel and France. It must renounce its regional destabilization activities and its support for the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
The time has come to bring new hope to this region, after more than a year of horror. And the use of force must give way to the use of negotiation.
Thank you.
