French FM sees Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire potential after Trump election
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French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot highlights the US President-elect's stated goal of ending protracted wars in the Middle East.
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Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz (R) greets his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot before a meeting in occupied al-Quds on November 7, 2024 (AFP)
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated Thursday in occupied al-Quds that he sees potential for resolving "Israel's" wars on Gaza and Lebanon following Donald Trump’s election as US president.
"I believe a window has opened for putting an end to the tragedy in which Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region have been immersed since October 7" last year, Barrot told reporters alongside outgoing Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz.
He highlighted Trump’s stated goal of ending protracted wars in the Middle East, along with what he labeled as "Israel’s" recent “tactical successes”, expressing hope for a “diplomatic solution” emerging “in the coming weeks.”
The top French diplomat stressed that "force alone will not be enough to guarantee Israel's security," adding that "military success could not be a substitute for a political perspective."
He called for progress toward a framework that would allow for the release of all Israeli captives, a ceasefire, the substantial entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the preparation for the day after.
To no one's surprise, Barrot said, "Israel has the right to defend itself" but noted that “colonization”, restrictions on humanitarian aid, and ongoing air strikes in northern Gaza present significant risks to the Israeli occupation entity's security.
During his tenure as US President from 2017 to 2021, Trump implemented several policies and actions in favor of "Israel".
In December 2017, he formally recognized occupied al-Quds as "Israel's" capital, breaking with decades of US policy. He later moved the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to al-Quds in May 2018.
In a move that contradicted international law, Trump recognized in March 2019 Israeli "sovereignty" over the Golan Heights, a region "Israel" occupied from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War.
The Republican President-elect mediated the normalization agreements in 2020, through which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco normalized relations with the Israeli occupation regime.
Moreover, the Trump administration cut over $200 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority and also stopped contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides aid to Palestinian refugees.
In addition, Trump unveiled in January 2020 his "Peace to Prosperity" plan, also known as the "Deal of the Century," aimed at allegedly resolving the Israeli-Palestinian struggle, which included the recognition of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and proposed a fragmented Palestinian state with limited sovereignty.
The Trump administration also continued to fuel the Israeli war machine, signing a $3.8 billion annual military aid package as part of the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) initiated under the Obama administration.
Read more: 'Do what you have to do,' Trump tells Netanyahu after +42,000 killed
