Catherine Colonna, Foreign Minister, Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic advisor to the head of state, and Emmanuel Macron, on November 9th at the Élysée Palace. LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP
DECRYPTION – The president, who initially unequivocally recognized Israel’s right to self-defense, drew strong criticism for calling for a “ceasefire.”
Since October 7th, Emmanuel Macron’s Middle East policy has been like a whirlwind, driven from side to side by emotions and fears dictated by international and national news. The first step was obvious: the president unequivocally condemned Hamas’ terrorist attacks and unconditionally supported Israel’s right to defend itself. He initially even banned pro-Palestinian demonstrations in France. A wavering followed that left Emmanuel Macron at the bottom of Tel Aviv, behind Biden, Scholz, the Italian Meloni, the British Sunak and even the Dutch Rutte. But the political course was maintained. The president reiterated the need to “defeat terrorism” and eradicate Hamas as a “priority.”
The first stumbling block was that of the “international coalition,” an unrealistic proposal aimed at reproducing the international fight against Daesh – against Hamas. It wasn’t forwarded…
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