'Diplomatic rebellion' against Macron's pro-'Israel' bias: Le Figaro
10 French ambassadors have criticized Macron's departure from "France's historically balanced stance on the Israeli-Palestinian struggle."
A group of ten French ambassadors to Arab nations openly rebelled against President Macron's perceived shift towards a "pro-Israeli stance" by collaboratively composing and signing a communication addressed to the president, French newspaper Le Figaro reported.
The memorandum, signed by around 10 French ambassadors, criticized Macron's departure from "France's historically balanced stance on the Israeli-Palestinian struggle."
The ambassadors viewed this deviation as unprecedented in modern French diplomatic history with the Arab world. The document, seen by a diplomat in Paris, was directed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and subsequently sent to the Elysee Palace, potentially signaling a diplomatic rebellion.
The ambassadors emphasized that France's pro-"Israel" stance in the ongoing war on Gaza contradicts their country's "historically balanced position."
Wow, I believe this is unprecedented in the history of France's diplomacy: ten French ambassadors to Muslim countries openly rebel against Macron's "pro-Israeli turn" by collectively writing and signing a note to the president.https://t.co/8Xzo030EEC
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) November 14, 2023
Here's what the note says…
"Our interlocutors feel that we are betraying ourselves; they believe that our discourse based on humanism is in contradiction with our new approach", the note says according to the newspaper.
The big picture
In recent days, Macron has shown unwavering support for the Israeli occupation. During his recent visit to "Tel Aviv", he advocated broadening a multinational coalition that is claimed to be battling the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to include Hamas."
Without mentioning a single Israeli massacre or war crime, he reiterated his statements regarding the "right of the Jewish state to defend itself."
Despite hosting the Paris Humanitarian Conference on Gaza on November 10th, he did not secure financial support for Gaza. The promised 100 million euros from Macron will, in part (20 million euros), be fulfilled as previous commitments and will be provided over the course of a full year.
As a result, Macron faced criticism from the diplomatic corps, which feared damage to France's image in Arab and Islamic countries.
In recent weeks, protests have erupted in several French cities in support of Palestinians and condemnation of the Israeli aggression. This is despite the French police's suppression policy against protesters, based on a government order to prohibit these popular movements.
Meanwhile, the Gaza Strip's media office reported an increase in the death toll resulting from brutal Israeli strikes, now reaching 11,240, with 4,630 children among the casualties, as of Monday.