French MP almost completes campaign urging halt to 'Israel' arms sales

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
3 Aug 2024 13:43

The campaign requires just over 600 more signatures to reach its goal of 35,000.

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Thomas Portes, a deputy from La France Insoumise (LFI), speaks during an event, wearing his tricolor sash, France, Paris, January 24, 2024. (AFP)

French lawmaker Thomas Portes is nearing the completion of his online campaign urging President Emmanuel Macron’s government to halt arms sales to the Israeli occupation entity, the Anadolu Agency reported.

As of Friday, 34,327 people had signed the petition initiated by Portes, a member of the La France Insoumise (LFI) party, on change.org.

The campaign requires just over 600 more signatures to reach its goal of 35,000. The next steps for Portes after achieving the target are not yet clear.

The French Defense Ministry’s July 2023 report to Parliament revealed that Paris issued 767 export licenses for Tel Aviv since 2015.

France also sells an average of €20 million ($22 million) worth of military equipment to "Israel" annually.

Between 2013 and 2022, the value of military equipment shipped from France to "Israel" amounted to €207.6 million ($227 million).

Additionally, from 2014 to 2022, Paris issued export licenses for "Israel" totaling €2.5 billion ($2.8 billion).

This comes as the number of Palestinians killed since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in October has risen to 39,550 martyrs and those injured 91,280.

Last month, Portes said at a rally in support of Palestinians that "the Israeli delegation is not welcome in Paris," as the French capital hosts the 2024 Summer Olympics.

"Israeli sportspeople are not welcome at the Paris Olympic Games," he stressed, calling for mobilization around the event.

He later told the Parisien newspaper that "France's diplomats should pressure the International Olympic Committee to bar the Israeli flag and anthem, as is done for Russia."

The lawmaker has previously urged the French government to sanction "Israel" for committing genocide in the Gaza Strip and described Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "right-wing fanatic" who is "addicted to hatred of the Palestinians."