French MP boycotts diplomatic visit to 'Israel' over war on Gaza
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Aymeric Caron says the "Israel"-France Parliamentary Friendship Group is led by parliamentarians who support Netanyahu's right-wing government.
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Member of the French Parliament for La France Insoumise (LFI) parliamentary group, Aymeric Caron (C), speaks in a megaphone as he takes part in a pro-Palestinian gathering in front of the Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po Paris), in Paris on April 26, 2024. (AFP)
Aymeric Caron, a member of the left-wing Ecological Revolution for Living (REV) Party and vice-president of the so-called "Israel"-France Parliamentary Friendship Group, will boycott the diplomatic visit scheduled by the French Parliament to "Israel" from July 15 to 19, the French newspaper Le Figaro reported.
Caron's boycott decision stems from his strong condemnation of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
He pointed out that the "Israel"-France Parliamentary Friendship Group "is led by parliamentarians who, no matter what they say, support the extreme right-wing Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu."
"It is a pressure and propaganda group, and it is very biased, and therefore I do not believe, even for a moment, in a trip to conduct an unstructured and open dialogue with Israeli parliamentarians."
The French politician accused parliamentarians who attacked him of "obscurantism", adding that they "are all defending the Israeli settlement policy. They do not in any way defend France’s official position, which is to call for a ceasefire or a two-state solution."
In response to Caron's decision, French parliamentarian Julien Odoul, of the far-right nationalist National Rally party, said that "it is a continuation of the logic of hatred for Israel."
"He [Caron] is the vice president of the friendship group, but it is better for him to be in the opposition group given the propaganda he has been spreading since 7 October," added Odoul, who will take part in the visit to occupied Palestine.
Recently, Caron's office in Paris was vandalized over his fierce opposition to the Israeli war on Gaza.
Permanence à nouveau dégradée.
— Aymeric Caron (@CaronAymericoff) May 13, 2024
C’est maintenant plusieurs fois par mois, en raison de ma dénonciation des crimes commis par l’armée israélienne à Gaza.
Cela s’ajoute aux menaces qui me visent, moi et ma famille.
Et jamais un seul mot de dénonciation ou de soutien des députés… pic.twitter.com/hzhEojHoOG
In early April, he expressed his intention to showcase images of the war and the atrocities committed by Israeli occupation forces to MPs who had previously attended a screening of a film portraying the Hamas movement as "terrorists" due to their operation on October 7.
Previously, Caron shared a photo taken by Israeli occupation soldiers of a tank shell bearing the inscription, "Aymeric Caron, now you can cry." He deemed the stance of his own country and the silence of French diplomacy and media regarding the devastation in Gaza as offensive to France.
In late March, Caron vowed he would continue voicing support for the people of occupied Palestine despite all that he has been subjected to in a bid to deter him from backing the cause.
"For months, my commitment to respecting Palestinian rights has earned me many insults, slander, and threats. With my lawyers, we have decided to put an end to the impunity of those who think they can do anything," he said.
Read more: France urges 'Israel' to halt Rafah invasion immediately
