For the first time, France requests a “humanitarian truce that could lead to a ceasefire” in the war in Gaza. This was stated by Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne in the speech she delivered on Monday afternoon before the National Assembly on the occasion of the open debate to which the representatives were invited, more than two weeks after the Hamas military operation on October 7, which Paris describes as “terrorist.” . More importantly, it paves the way for what President Emmanuel Macron, who arrives in Israel on Tuesday, after hesitating for several days, can say. Bourne stated that France voted in favor of the Brazilian draft law in the Security Council, which calls in one of its paragraphs for a humanitarian truce that would enable the delivery of humanitarian aid.

In her speech, Bourne sought to express a “balanced” French policy that, on the one hand, affirms Israel’s right to defend itself and respond to Hamas operations. However, at the same time, it stresses that it be “compatible with respect for international humanitarian law,” which Israel is trampling on, as its various attacks on the Gaza Strip, especially air strikes, have left more than 5,000 dead, thousands injured, and massive destruction of neighborhoods and entire areas.

Hamas trap

While Bourne warned that “Israel must not fall into the trap that Hamas has set for it,” and did not hesitate to express its sympathy and understanding for the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza, including deprivation of water, fuel, and electricity, and their forced displacement from their homes, she nevertheless refrained from directing any Criticism of the Israeli army. Bourne reported that Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna will go to New York to participate in the consultations taking place there on the war in Gaza. While stressing that Paris does not ignore the miserable conditions of more than two million people in Gaza, as evidenced by the continued aid it provides to them, it considered that “it is not possible to stand idly by” in the face of what is happening.

Borne believed that the current diplomatic mobilization must focus on “preventing the outbreak of war regionally, but the war on terrorism cannot replace the search for peace,” and the path to it is “providing security guarantees for Israel and establishing a Palestinian state” alongside it. Borne concluded her speech by affirming that France “is a friend of Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab countries, which gives us a pivotal role in the search for peace.”

Heated atmosphere

During the three hours that the House of Representatives met, the atmosphere was heated between representatives of the left parties and their counterparts from the right-wing representatives and the presidential party. The meeting hall witnessed pandemonium and interruptions, especially when Mathilde Bannot, head of the group of deputies of the “Rebel France” party (the hard-left), led by former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, took the stage.

In contrast to the humanitarian truce called for by the Prime Minister, Bano called for an “immediate ceasefire,” to put an end to “war crimes committed by the Israeli army.” The leftist MP attacked the government because of the “unconditional support” that the government provided to Israel, and denounced its bombing of 59 hospitals and 160 schools and the killing of more than 5,000 people, concluding by saying that a human life “is the same everywhere and it is not possible to work according to two standards.”

Banu denounced France's subordination to American policy, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Israeli racist right, recalling what Netanyahu said in 2019 when he considered that "everyone who wants to fight the establishment of a Palestinian state must support Hamas." It also denounced the Interior Minister's ban on pro-Palestinian demonstrations while allowing them in Britain, Germany, Sweden, and even the United States of America.

To highlight the conflict in positions, it is sufficient to point to the speech of the representative of the representatives of the traditional right-wing Republican Party, who blamed the government for its refusal to put an end to French “development aid” provided to the Palestinians, similar to what Germany, Austria and Sweden did. She also blamed her for not summoning the Palestinian ambassador to France because of the strong statements she made against Israel and her failure, to date, to impose sanctions on “Hamas.”

Deep attraction

The above shows the deep tension and vertical divisions that afflict French society, the narrow margin of maneuver enjoyed by President Macron during his visit to Israel, and his desire also to meet the President of the Palestinian Authority in an Arab capital, which may be Jordan or Egypt, in order to achieve balance in the approach. He had already indicated two days ago what he would seek through his visit, which is to achieve “useful elements for the region” and “move towards establishing a lasting peace by assembling elements that will guarantee Israel’s security, confront terrorist groups, and allow the resumption of the political process that will prevent the escalation of the conflict.” “And it turned into a regional war. French diplomacy seeks in particular to prevent the war from spreading to the Lebanese-Israeli border, because of its disastrous consequences for the fragile Lebanese situation.

Politics of France

Colonna had clearly and comprehensively explained France's position and policy, which caused much confusion. Between her accusation of unconditional support for Israel, which is what Speaker of the House of Representatives Yael Brown-Bevit accused of during her visit to Israel last Saturday and Sunday, and her abstention until Monday evening from calling for a humanitarian truce, even though she voted in favor of the Brazilian draft resolution in the Security Council, which stipulates A truce like this was overturned by the American veto.

According to well-informed sources in Paris, the French interpretation is that Washington “wants to give sufficient time to Israel in its war on Hamas before it responds to the calls for a truce launched by the Pope, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Red Cross, and associations working in the humanitarian field, in addition to tens of thousands of demonstrators in Europe and the world.

Colonna told the Tribune du Dimanche newspaper on Sunday that Paris's position is based on "denouncing Hamas and its terrorist act, avoiding the outbreak of war regionally, recalling the necessity of a political horizon for a two-state solution, recalling the necessity of adhering to international humanitarian law, and enabling emergency access to the civilian population in Gaza." . It is necessary to add that reaching a humanitarian truce is the new element in the French position.

Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat