In advance of the French president’s visit to Israel, Paris has made important aspects of his forthcoming speech public.
When he visits Israel, French President Emmanuel Macron is to demand “a return to a real peace process” and an end to the “colonisation” of the West Bank, according to a Monday report by the French broadcaster BFMTV.
According to the Elysee Palace, Macron, who is scheduled to visit Tel Aviv on Tuesday, plans to show his support for Israel and make “very clear commitments against terrorist groups,” according to BFM.
In addition, he desires to “reopen a political perspective” for the Palestinians in order to secure the liberation of all hostages detained in Gaza, to stop hostilities, and to “avoid the generalisation of the conflict” into a “dangerous and uncontrolled escalation in the Middle East.” The French presidency said that a crucial component of this plan would be to halt the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
According to an alleged presidential adviser who spoke to BFM, France wants a brief ceasefire to make it easier for Hamas to free its hostages.
The adviser stated, “We want a humanitarian pause, a humanitarian truce, which, if necessary, gives us enough space to build a political scenario that would hopefully result in a ceasefire.”
On October 7, Hamas invaded Israel, murdering an estimated 1,400 Israelis and kidnapping an additional 200. Local authorities report that in retaliation, Israel imposed a siege on Gaza, declared war on the Palestinians, launched artillery and airstrikes, and killed up to 4,000 people.
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Macron wants to show his solidarity for Israel, especially for the 30 French Israelis who lost their lives in the October 7 Hamas incursion. Additionally, seven people are classified as missing and presumed to be detained in Gaza.
The adviser added that “there is a need to open a political perspective that gives substance to the only solution that is valid in the Middle East, which is the two-state solution,” noting that France has “never deviated” from this goal. This is in addition to a collective commitment to combat the threat of terrorism.
Following an Arras high school stabbing that was associated with Islamic extremism on October 13, France upped its terrorism threat advisory to the highest level. Gerald Darmanin, the interior minister under Macron, has declared any pro-Palestinian demonstrations illegal and threatens to deport any foreigners who disobey the order.
The 2023 MTV Europe Music Awards show, which was supposed to take place on November 5 in Paris, was called off this past weekend due to security issues and the “volatility of world events.”
