A lively controversy opposes Benyamin Netanyahu and Emmanuel Macron. The French President and the Israeli Prime Minister spoke on the phone last night following Emmanuel Macron’s call for an end to arms deliveries to Israel.
France, like many Western countries, is struggling to define its position in the conflict ravaging the Middle East. On Saturday, Emmanuel Macron said it was time to stop the fighting in Gaza and suggested that we stop supplying weapons to Israel. The message was intended for the United States because France has not sold weapons to the Jewish state for a long time and several European countries such as Germany have considerably reduced their supplies.
Shame
The Israeli Prime Minister described this call as “shame”. The two men explained themselves last night. The French president reaffirmed France’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security but also insisted on the urgency of a ceasefire.
In vain, the Israeli Prime Minister is determined to continue the conflict as long as Hamas has not surrendered. As for Lebanese Hezbollah, it wants to weaken it enough so that the 60,000 Israelis who had to leave the north of the country can return there in safety.
Finally, we are still awaiting the response to the air attack carried out by Iran last week. Have no doubt, it will take place, among the possible targets, the Iranian oil complex. Then, refinery, port… We are therefore very far from a peace agreement.
This French position, solidarity with Israel but call for an end to the fighting, is paradoxical and almost untenable. Above all, it reflects the powerlessness of Europeans to influence the conflict. As for the Americans, the Biden administration does not want to be dragged into a new Vietnam. But the United States will never let go of Israel. The war will therefore continue with its procession of deaths and its political consequences such as the irrepressible and detestable rise of anti-Semitism in France and elsewhere.
Endless guerrilla warfare
The IDF claims that Hamas is militarily defeated. But its current leader continues to hide in a bunker. He still has 10,000 fighters and, above all, around a hundred hostages, 64 of whom are still alive. He refuses to capitulate. With the support of his allies, he can continue to wage endless guerrilla warfare, fueled by new generations. Even in the West Bank, young people are turning away from the Palestinian authority to join Hamas.
Beyond the abominable massacres of October 7, beyond the violence of the Israeli response, this historic event put an end to 30 years of hope. This morning, with a sinking heart, I tell myself that Israel will never feel safe and that the Palestinians will never have their state unless there is a miracle.
politics France palestine hamas Gaza Israel macron Signed Giltay
