2023-11-08 18:27:42
Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, in Jerusalem, October 24, 2023. CHRISTOPHE ENA / AP
The tensions are discreet, never expressed openly, but very real. Emmanuel Macron’s positioning in the war between Israel and Hamas arouses annoyance, even strong reservations, within the French diplomatic apparatus. While a “humanitarian conference on Gaza”during which the Head of State intends to display a form of balance between the belligerents, his management of the conflict since the Hamas attacks on October 7, arouses real unease among some diplomats, under pressure for a week to organize the event.
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Among the most critical are the staff of the North Africa and Middle East Directorate (ANMO), the most in contact with the countries of the region, and often nicknamed the “Arab street” within the Quai d’Orsay. Their frustration is all the more acute as the conflict internally fuels the traditional divide with the proponents of a very Atlanticist and pro-Israeli line. But the sling goes beyond that. Several dozen diplomats are concerned about the unqualified support for Israel. They fear a profound impact on the image and security of France in the years to come, and call for an immediate ceasefire. Some would have even imagined writing a collective note to their minister, Catherine Colonna. Since October 7, the latter has been dispatched twice to the region, then to the United Nations headquarters in New York, but remains almost inaudible.
“We are opposed to what looks like alignment with Israel, but we have no way of making it known. It is absurd not to call for a ceasefire. A ceasefire is not a humanitarian trucesummarizes a diplomat. What happens now will have an enormous impact, for decades, on the image and security of France. The winners are Russia and Turkey. Everything is linked to the problem of the ceasefire: France gives moral and political support to Netanyahu in his conduct of the war. »
Israel not invited
On the eve of the conference on Gaza, Mr. Macron and French officials have a lot to do to convince people of the advisability of such an event, while Israel still refuses any idea of a ceasefire, or even a humanitarian pause, in the fighting in the Gaza Strip – which has left more than 10,300 dead according to the report from the Ministry of Health of the enclave controlled by Hamas. The list of participants was only finalized at the last minute.
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