Emmanuel Macron is not a visionary but a dreamer who mistakes his wishes for reality. His conduct of affairs hardly resembles that of General de Gaulle or Winston Churchill, but rather recalls Chamberlain and Daladier.
The French president's intentions toward peace and Israel are positive, but the double-dealing in his speeches is transparent. Unlike Donald Trump's outspokenness, Macron's fine, reasonable, and well-structured rhetoric may be valid and justified in Europe, but in the jungles of the Middle East, the Cartesian mindset is misleading and irrational. Islamist terrorists couldn't care less about international law, democratic values, or philosophical norms. Hamas prefers to sow terror and barbarism; it's its ideology.
Macron put the cart before the horse. He should have demanded that Hamas release all hostages unconditionally and as a matter of priority and dismantle its military arsenal. In his speeches at the UN and before Arab-Muslim heads of state, Donald Trump has been more understanding of the complexity of the situation on this issue.
A new UN resolution to satisfy the Arab world is pointless. On the contrary, it offers a poisoned chalice, plunges the Palestinians into a dream, into utopia, and risks violent revenge if it fails.
Resolving a crisis, chaotic situation, and complex, long-standing conflict requires diplomacy and common sense, along with a coherent, pragmatic, and productive action plan. Seeking compromises, engaging in dialogue with all partners, and offering solid security guarantees. Macron chose to go it alone, rush events, dictate the agenda and final status without any prior negotiations, and punish Israel if it fails to respect recognition of the Palestinian state. In reality, Macron wanted to create a fait accompli, muddy the waters, and leave his mark on the pages of history. As a result, he foolishly delayed normalization with the Arab countries.
Worse, he has flouted all fundamental laws and the rules of the diplomatic game. It is sad to note that many European countries have fallen into the trap of manipulation and deception. Some have deliberately violated the Oslo Accords, since they are signatories on behalf of the European Union. They have pledged to wait until the end of final status negotiations. This sets a dangerous precedent for respecting international treaties.
It's clear that Macron and his counterparts, particularly in the Arab world, are not particularly concerned about resolving the Palestinian problem. For more than fifty years, they have remained indifferent to the distress and misery of the Arabs. As for the Europeans, they have other fish to fry in their own countries than resolving a distant and insoluble conflict. They chose to recognize the Palestinian state for economic and commercial reasons, to pay off the foreign debt, calm Muslim communities, attract their electoral support, and avoid their intifada, popular revolt, and terrorist acts.
From the beginning of his second term, Macron meticulously prepared his plan, repeatedly stating that "the recognition of a Palestinian state was no longer taboo." He patiently waited for the right moment, planning a media campaign with communications strategists. Thus, France Télévision and France 24, in particular, as well as liberal-left newspapers such as Le Monde and Libération, and a few Middle East observers, followed the instructions of the Elysée Palace. They broadcast simplistic and biased reports, articles, maps, and tables on the history of the conflict. They justified Macron's policy by accusing the Netanyahu government of waging a genocidal war in Gaza and crimes against humanity. The terrible massacre of October 7, 2023, and the hostages were completely forgotten.
To attract and raise awareness among international opinion, Macron even dared to intervene in the Israeli public debate by granting a long interview in English to Channel 12, known for its editorial line hostile to the current government. This exclusive interview was, in fact, only a monologue, a long plea that the journalist allowed to continue with a shy smile, without being able to ask the real fundamental questions, especially when Macron told us that "the Palestinian state is a defeat for Hamas." What ignorance about the ideology and intentions of Hamas, which today represents the overwhelming majority of Palestinians.
In this theater of the absurd and even more serious, at the end of this "exclusive interview," the speaker of this commercial channel dares to warmly thank a certain Ofer Bronstein, a sabra, Israeli activist for the Palestinian cause, and proud to hold a Palestinian passport... Also of French nationality and living in Paris, he is strangely in charge of President Macron's mission... and the darling of the media... A multifaceted character who manages to get along with Macron...
In fact, the current French president, with his charlatan advisor, has succeeded in dividing Israeli society and, above all, sowing discord within the Jewish community of France, the largest in Europe, which still remains faithful to republican laws.
By accusing Netanyahu of sacrificing the hostages, Macron also appears to be encouraging anti-government protests until its fall. With his remarks, isn't he encouraging Palestinians to continue "resistance" and commit terrorist and antisemitic acts in France as well?
How would he have reacted if Netanyahu had given an interview on French television denouncing uncontrolled Muslim immigration, the current constitutional crisis, the protests and strikes against the high cost of living, and the staggering foreign debt for which Macron is responsible?
For Macron, are there two Israeli peoples, one wanting peace and the other war? Wasn't the current government democratically elected? All the clarifications and arguments about the urgency of French recognition deliberately ignore the realities on the ground.
Of course, we want to stop the war and end the bloodshed, but what assurance does the French president give us other than fine words and moral lessons?
Regarding Israeli reprisals against France, he replied in embarrassment: "France will not be inert, it will react firmly." Is this how he wants to continue dialogue with a friendly country? By a showdown?
For several decades, the Palestinian issue has plagued the international community without finding a solution. A definitive settlement must be achieved through direct negotiations, following extensive reflection and study on all levels, including geopolitical, strategic, economic, and legal aspects.
By choosing the Arab-Muslim side and blindly supporting the Palestinian cause, without seriously considering the dangerous consequences of tomorrow, Macron will no longer be able to play the role of arbiter. Israel cannot offer him diplomatic mediation because France no longer has the role of influence in the Middle East or elsewhere… We much prefer American good offices.
The experience of the painful past teaches us that all Palestinian leaders refuse any compromise and are incapable of leading an independent state living in peace alongside the Jewish state. All attempts have failed due to haste, an excessive rush to achieve quick results and good press.
Since October 7, 2023, all polls have shown that the overwhelming majority of Israelis, both left and right, refuse any dialogue with Palestinian leaders until the day their security along all borders and within the country is absolute. The determination to unilaterally proclaim the Palestinian state is therefore counterproductive and dangerous for the future of the Jewish state.
The future of peace with the Arabs is a noble wish. Israelis are not warriors; they defend themselves and sacrifice their children precisely to achieve security and peace. They have not experienced a true day of peace, but the public debate must be exclusively within the Israeli framework, not in Paris, New York, or London.
After two years of fierce fighting on multiple fronts, Netanyahu also has a duty to end the war, release all hostages, and propose a bold and pragmatic peace plan with President Trump. The Israeli people deserve a better future.
