Macron to Netanyahu: The occupation of Gaza will not bring victory and will increase Israel's isolation.

French President Emmanuel Macron sent a strongly worded message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that the reoccupation of the Gaza Strip and adherence to settlement policies in the West Bank will not bring Israel any victory, but rather will lead to its international isolation, enhance global anti-Semitism, and expose Jewish communities abroad to greater dangers.

In his message, dated August 26, Macron affirmed that France will remain a friend to both Israel and the Palestinians, but it will not remain silent in the face of what he described as “the race towards a permanent and illegal war in Gaza” accompanied by forced displacement and starvation of Palestinians. He stated that these policies will not erase the existence of the Palestinian people from their land nor guarantee Israel's status as a “great democracy and a national homeland for the Jews.”

The French president emphasized that combating anti-Semitism is a “principled issue” that should not be exploited to justify Israel's current policies, reminding that he was the first French president to officially adopt the definition of the “International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance” in 2017, which considers anti-Zionism a form of anti-Semitism, but he clarified that this definition “cannot absolve Israel of its responsibilities” in the Palestinian territories.

Macron linked Israel's security to the necessity of establishing a sovereign, demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes Israel and lives peacefully alongside it. He viewed this state as representing the end of Hamas, considering that the ongoing war for nearly two years has proven that “the only real way to eliminate Hamas and ensure the future of Israel's youth is to establish a viable Palestinian state.”

Macron noted that France and Saudi Arabia succeeded last month in rallying Arab and Western countries in New York to discuss “the day after the war,” including taking on transitional security responsibilities in Gaza, contributing to the disarmament of armed groups, and supporting the reconstruction of the devastated sector. He stated that this international commitment is “unprecedented” and that Israel should not squander it.

He also warned that continuing military operations would cause Israel to lose the “historic opportunity” to turn its military gains into “a sustainable political victory that guarantees its security and prosperity,” asserting that “occupation, settlement, and hate speech will only lead to further isolation,” calling on Netanyahu to seize the outstretched hand of the international community to work towards a just and lasting peace.

Macron concluded his message by emphasizing that “a framework for ending the crisis in Gaza and achieving a permanent ceasefire is within reach,” adding that “the responsibility lies with you, Mr. Prime Minister, to choose the path of peace instead of the spiral of war.”

The full text of the message:

President Macron's message to Netanyahu.docx