I congratulate you on publishing in Haaretz an article explaining why President Emmanuel Macron took the initiative to recognize the "State of Palestine." We are delighted that the voice of France is being heard here in the language of the Bible. However, I am still surprised why the AFP and the French-language media present you as the French ambassador to Tel Aviv, even though every Israeli child knows perfectly well that this seaside city is not the capital of the Jewish state.
Since the Six-Day War of 1967 to this day, and just after the death of General De Gaulle, I have been a privileged observer of Franco-Israeli relations. I read with great interest the fascinating correspondence between the founder of our state, David Ben-Gurion, and Charles De Gaulle. I recommend you reread it. In this exchange of letters, everything is said with respect and friendship but without any waffle; an exceptional historical document that remains relevant today.
As a Francophile Israeli, I admit that I do not understand France's double-dealing policy toward the State of Israel. I often wonder with sadness why this great country that you represent, that of the capital of the Enlightenment, does not realize that Israel's fight against barbarism and Islamist terrorism is identical to universal values, those of the secular French Republic and the free world.
You highlight your president's approach as "an investment in the long-term security" of Israel and the region and "not as a victory for Hamas." You clearly state that at the UN, France obtained the diplomatic isolation of Hamas. I remind you that Hamas is a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Diplomatic isolation, therefore, does not mean the definitive departure of Hamas from Gaza. Moreover, he applauded your initiative and affirmed that only "armed resistance" obtains diplomatic gains. For the past two decades, you have turned a deaf ear to all Israeli claims about the real intentions of Hamas, whose goal remains the destruction of the only Jewish state on the planet.
In 2005, when we withdrew from the entire Gaza Strip, dislodging 8,000 Jewish families from their homes, you lacked the courage to prevent Hamas from seizing power through force and terror. It had ousted the Palestinian Authority and barred Mahmoud Abbas from setting foot in Gaza. Abbas, 89, remains persona non grata and unpopular with a significant portion of his people.
More astonishingly, your colleagues at the Quai d'Orsay also worked discreetly to have the Islamist organization recognized by France. I remind you of the "unofficial" meeting in Gaza in 2008 between Aubin de La Messuzière and Ismaël Haniyeh, and Mahmoud Zahar. They had promised to put an end to terrorist attacks and had even accepted, according to him, a Palestinian state within the 1949 armistice lines. This meeting followed others with representatives of your intelligence services and officials from the French Consulate General in Jerusalem, long since transformed into an embassy for Palestinian affairs.
Already at that time, the Quai d'Orsay and Bernard Kouchner at the head had convinced President Sarkozy of the "good intentions of the Islamists" in order to be able to speak directly with them... You were not the only ones to think this way... You were in good company with Barack Obama who had favored "Palestinian democratic elections" (the last since) which triggered three years later the famous Arab Spring and the rise of the Islamists in Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere, the creation of the Islamic State with Daesh, a civil war in Syria and above all the strengthening of the Iranian Shiite axis in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.
In fact, you recognize today, many years later, that you made a serious mistake. Of course, better late than never. Fortunately, France is beginning to understand that to resolve the Palestinian problem, we must remove Hamas from the leadership of the Palestinian people.
It is also scandalous to admit Mahmoud Abbas as a representative of the Palestinian people despite the fact that he holds power without being democratically re-elected, pays salaries to the perpetrators of terrorist acts and their families, and refuses to change the educational curriculum and textbooks. Since kindergarten, his teachers have incited hatred of Israel and cultivated violence, denied the Holocaust, and erased texts on the history of the Jewish people. In their books, publications, and maps, the Jewish state is completely non-existent.
It's revolting that we had to wait until the massacre of October 7, 2023, for President Macron to finally understand Hamas's real intentions. But what has France actually done on the ground? A trip by Macron to El Arish, in the Egyptian Sinai, to welcome poor refugees from Gaza? Aside from a quick trip to Israel, declarations of sympathy to the families of the hostages, and ceremonies in Paris, has he really acted to free the many French-speaking people held by the barbarians of Hamas, as President Trump has done? Hadn't he initially demanded alliances in the war on terror?
In your column, you proudly mention the humanitarian aid offered by France to the Gazans, but what about the last 40 tons that were dropped? You weren't the only ones; many countries participated. Do you know how many tons the Israelis transferred to Gaza? How many foodstuffs and medicines? Why don't you clearly accuse Hamas? The one that steals the Gazans' bread instead of helping to ostracize Israel from the nations?
I completely agree with you that only diplomatic means can lead to peaceful solutions and guarantee Israel's security within "secure and recognized borders," and above all, defensible ones. But by unilaterally recognizing the Palestinian state, you are not truly acting diplomatically. You are not sincerely consulting the Israeli government, the only democratic country in the region, and a friend of France. You are going it alone, as usual.
Critics are demanding that Israel withdraw from all territories to the 1967 lines and accept East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital before final status negotiations even begin. This position fails to acknowledge Israel's legitimate claim to Jerusalem as its capital since 1948 - a recognition the United States formalized by moving its embassy to Jerusalem. These pre-negotiation demands represent a fundamental departure from the established framework for peace talks.
Of course, you know that state recognition must include certain attributes: a specific territory, borders recognized by international bodies, including the UN Security Council. How then can a sovereign and independent state be granted to a Palestinian population that remains dispersed, led by two separate governments, one of which represents a declared terrorist organization? Why this rush? Is the time right after the barbaric massacre of October 7?
France has undoubtedly achieved a real public relations coup and has drawn closer to the Arab-Muslim world, but in reality, your government has openly violated international conventions.
Faced with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, your president is seeking every means to find a diplomatic solution, but by putting the cart before the horse, he is muddying the waters, ignoring the realities on the ground, and ploughing dangerous paths. He is complicating your noble mission of bringing our two peoples closer together. Your intentions to seek stability and peace in the Middle East are justified. We always applaud the search for peace; we are fed up with wars. Unfortunately, your approach, like previous initiatives, remains transparent, dubious, and tinged with hypocrisy and commercial interests.
We note that at every major event in our region, France attempts to play an influential role, but in its haste, it commits serious historical errors. This goes back to the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, which partitioned the Middle East. Even before the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, you had signed agreements with Great Britain that were made frivolously and arbitrarily, the repercussions of which are still causing great damage today.
It is also very interesting, even amusing, to consult the official website of your ministry. It explains to us in three minutes, "the stakes of the initiative for peace in the Middle East," how to resolve a hundred-year-old conflict, so complicated and so complex. During these 180 seconds, I remained truly amazed, stupefied to see that the magicians of the Quai d'Orsay had finally found the right formula to achieve peace.
More seriously, let us return to the historical facts, to this French position officially described on the Quai d'Orsay website: "Israel-Palestinian Territories." I also wonder why France insists on linking Israel to the Palestinian Territories, presenting them as two Siamese twins. Is the Jewish state no longer an independent, sovereign state? This French policy towards the Arab-Israeli conflict has not changed for several decades, but it has not contributed to peace either.
You were the first Western country to recognize the PLO in 1974, and to open a diplomatic office in Paris for a terrorist organization whose charter is not very different from that of Hamas. This charter remains in effect despite numerous French assertions. It calls for the liberation of all of Palestine from "the river to the sea." I assume you perfectly understand this slogan, which clearly means the destruction of the State of Israel. And yet, this slogan is chanted and inscribed with complete freedom in France, in the country you represent.
You speak of "the scale of the tragedy in Gaza and the urgency of ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. A situation that fuels terrorism and fuels antisemitism throughout the world." We are convinced of the opposite; it is the recognition of the Palestinian state that strengthens the Islamists and provokes waves of hatred against Jewish communities.
Regarding the Palestinian Authority, we suggest reading and rereading Mahmoud Abbas's belligerent speeches in Arabic, and questioning the management of affairs, whether everything is truly transparent and conducted through democratic channels and in accordance with democratic values. One might wonder what Mahmoud Abbas has done with all the billions of euros he has received from the international community, including those received by France since the donors' conference held in Paris following the Oslo Accords signed in 1993.
We also recommend rereading and listening to the speeches of Hamas leaders, who do not recognize the very existence of the State of Israel, nor even the power of the Palestinian Authority. And finally, questioning the reasons why the two parties have not asked France to act as an intermediary and still prefer American mediation, which they consider more credible and effective.
Following successive failures, it would be useful to reexamine France's policy in our region. To act in the right direction and finally adopt a new, creative, effective, less conservative, and more pragmatic diplomacy. To win the sympathy of the Israelis, I advise my French colleagues not to behave like proud ENA graduates, adopting a consistently icy demeanor and moralistic discourse.
Of course, this is not about boycotting and cutting ties with the Arab world and conducting a witch hunt against the Muslim world. Reason being, we must continue the dialogue and bring together moderates and all people of goodwill within the framework of the Abraham Accords, to fight extremists and fanatics together, and to remove all those who sow hatred and terror.
Finally, Israel has never interfered in French affairs and does not give moral lessons or advice to foreign countries. We also reject boycotts, pressure, and diktats. Therefore, we recommend, in the interest of both countries, separating the "bilateral from the multilateral" in order to strengthen our relations in all areas. They are currently in good shape despite all the differences and misunderstandings regarding the solution to the Palestinian problem.
In this context, it is time to prepare a first state visit by President Macron exclusively to Israel. He is always welcome. This is how we could together reassure the Jewish community of France, always faithful to republican laws, and calm the minds of French-speaking Israelis who are very disappointed with your country's policies.
