On the evening of Emmanuel Macron's visit to Tel Aviv, the French government has reaffirmed today (Monday) its balanced position regarding the Middle East conflict, in the hope that "the spirit of unity will prevail."
France calls on Israel to have a "correct response and not fall into the trap of Hamas," as stated by Élisabeth Borne, the Prime Minister of France, during the national assembly. She added, "France is a friend of both Israel and the Palestinians." She then requested a "humanitarian truce to allow the distribution of aid in the Gaza Strip since the crossing at Rafah is still severely restricted. We call for the opening of the Rafah border to enable new aid crossings that may lead to a ceasefire."
She further added, "Even in the most difficult and intense battles, we must not lose sight of what makes us a democratic country: our values, respect for the rule of law, and international humanitarian law." In her speech, the Prime Minister also requested that the historical relations between France and the Palestinians be acknowledged, stating, "France is a friend of Israel, a friend of the Palestinians, and a friend of Arab states in the region. It is an independent stance that we have always maintained."
On the other hand, other voices in the assembly from the opposition said, "We must not show ambiguity in the face of such crimes, minimizing, justifying or even releasing terrorism means accepting that it will strike again tomorrow, in Israel, France or anywhere else."
The head of the Left Party, Mathilde Panot, called for a cease-fire and denounced France "which aligns itself with the United States and the Israeli government which goes to war with the extreme right," according to her.
The controversy revolved around the visit of Yaël Braun-Pivet to Israel, the President of the National Assembly of France, who visited the south of Israel yesterday. During her visit, Braun-Pivet confirmed that France fully supports Israel, stating, "Nothing should prevent the country from defending itself against Hamas in war."
