At a news conference in Jerusalem, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot doubled down on French President Emmanuel Macron’s call last week for an arms embargo on Israel.
“Today, to guarantee the security of Israel, to guarantee the security of Israelis, the use of force must give way to dialogue and diplomacy,” he said in French.
“That is why France, like most countries in the world, calls in Gaza, as in Lebanon, for a ceasefire. And when we ask for a ceasefire, we cannot at the same time provide offensive weapons to the parties in conflict. It’s a question of coherence.” – said.
Emmanuel Macron has been criticized in recent days both inside and outside France for saying that the supply of weapons used by Israel in Gaza must be stopped.
Over the weekend, the French president’s comments were condemned by members of his own party, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who addressed the issue directly in a strongly worded video message. The Israeli prime minister lashed out at Western leaders calling for an arms embargo. “Shame on them,” he said.
On Monday, one of France’s closest military allies also rejected Macron’s position. Asked if he agreed with the French head of state, UK Defense Secretary John Healey told Sky News: “No, we operate in a different system.”
Cursor previously wrote that Macron expressed his condolences to Israel in Hebrew and remembered the Hamas hostages.
