Paris- Since the start of the processAl-Aqsa flood“On October 7, the French government expressed its unconditional support for Israel and defended its right to self-defense against the Islamic Resistance Movement (agitation).
When talking about the scenes of French diplomacy in its “official” form, it seems that successive governments have not abandoned the “Gaulli” principle – named after General Charles de Gaulle– Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the “two-state solution.”
But the history of the country’s foreign policy revealed the gradual departure from this concept over the course of about 20 years, as the current President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron A living example of the continuity of this silent turning point, which was initiated by his predecessors before him Nicolas Sarkozy AndFrançois Hollande.
De Gaulle…the godfather of estrangement
Diplomatic relations between France and Israel actually began in November 1947 when Paris voted in favor of a resolution United nations The aim was to divide Palestine into two Arab and Jewish states, before recognizing the independence of Israel a year later.
This recognition paved the way for intense cooperation between the two parties, especially with regard to supplying Tel Aviv with nuclear weapons or during the Egyptian Suez Canal crisis in 1956.
A few days after the Six-Day War, then-President Charles de Gaulle held a press conference to issue a decree suspending the sale of arms to Tel Aviv. He also gave his support for the resolution Security Council United Nations to end the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian territories.
This new formulation entered the diplomatic records between Paris and Tel Aviv, and caused a rift and a real transformation with its ally in the war against Arab nationalism in the region.
Senator and former head of the “Palestine-France” group in the French Parliament, Gilbert Roger, believes that General de Gaulle acted in this way, because he believed that “Israel wants to have a somewhat expansionist position in West Bank In particular, at that time the conversation was not focused on Gaza.”
Roger added – in his speech to Al Jazeera Net – that de Gaulle’s position was aimed at saying to Israel, “Enough, stop. There are limits that should not be crossed.”
Mitterrand.. a friend of Israel
34 years after the founding of the occupying state, the first socialist head of state visited the Fifth Republic François Mitterrand Israel to speak to The KnessetHe affirmed that “the French people are friends of the Israeli people.”
He also did not hesitate to express his support for the Camp David Accords and his opposition to calls to boycott the Hebrew state. But he surprised the audience by discussing the “Palestinian issue,” saying, “It is up to the Palestinians to decide their own fate on the only condition that they place their rights in respect for the rights of others, in respect for international law, and in dialogue that replaces violence.”
His statements were translated as a means of recognizing Palestinians who were previously underrepresented Palestine’s libiration organisation Which the Israeli authorities at the time considered a terrorist organization.
Roger believes that Mitterrand’s visit paved the way for improving relations between France and Israel, expressing his great admiration for this man’s policy “because he did not hide his connection to Israel, but at the same time he did not distance himself from the desire to recognize Palestine.”
He added, “History has shown us, unfortunately, that his visit did not bear fruit in achieving this desired balance, peace, and respect.”
Chirac…bearer of the banner of peace
Roger considered the positions of General de Gaulle and Presidents MitterrandJacques Chirac Balanced, and aimed at achieving recognition of the State of Palestine, alongside Israel, in peace and security. Today, I would like to say, “The flaw is that we do not really know what President Macron wants for the future of the Middle East region.”
He added that on October 23, 1996, Chirac went to Ramallah in the West Bank to deliver a peace speech aimed at emphasizing that the existence of a Palestinian state depends on the permanent security of Israel.
The former French senator commented on this historical period by saying, “President Jacques Chirac was not a person who would tolerate false allegations. He found that his speech was far from the real measures implemented by the Israeli authorities on the ground. This is what prompted him to deliver a speech with a firm tone.”
The French President pointed out to his Palestinian counterpart Yasser Arafat And members of the Legislative Council called for “the long-standing French-Palestinian relations” a few days after his eventful visit in the streets Jerusalem.
From that day on, he was known for his famous phrase, “Do you want me to board my plane and return to France?” Because of his dissatisfaction with the Israeli security services preventing Palestinian citizens from approaching him or speaking with him during his visit to the Old City.
Thanks to this scene, Chirac gained enormous popularity among the people of Palestine and the Arab countries, especially after maintaining good relations with Arafat.
For this reason too, Roger says, “If Mitterrand or Chirac were today the president of the republic, I am certain that both of them would call for an immediate ceasefire and sit at the negotiating table to reach a solution to end this permanent war between Palestine and Israel.”
Macron…an unbalanced position
But in 2005, French politics witnessed a different turning point. While Israel was withdrawing its forces from Gaza, Chirac received the then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon In Paris. Which led to the start of a new chapter in relations characterized by “weak” French activity in the arena of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This geopolitical line developed during the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande, and in turn moved to the current Macron government, which did not move away from the position of demanding a two-state solution, but in its “faded” form.
While the former French senator agrees with the current government in describing Hamas as a “terrorist movement,” Roger criticized the President of the Republic’s position in not demanding a ceasefire. “Macron is the type who tells you yes and no at the same time, and he is always hesitant among the left.” “And the right. This made him lose his credibility.”
This current conflict has revealed France’s inability to negotiate, and that the Arab countries do not have absolute confidence in the current French position, as he put it.
Roger also pointed out that Paris does not demand the immediate evacuation of the French from the theater of this war, who work in organizations such as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) or Doctors Without Borders or other international missions in Gaza, while Macron sympathized with the French-Israelis who were severely affected.
The former French senator described Macron’s policy as an “unstable balance,” explaining, “I regret to say that we do not care about the citizens in Gaza.”
