The National Assembly on Thursday largely rejected a proposed communist resolution condemning “Israel’s institutionalization of an apartheid regime”, despite calls from part of the left to support a text “on the side of international law”. . Deputy Jean-Paul Lecoq, author of the text, insisted on the “deep attachment” of his group “to the existence of the State of Israel”, but criticized an “illiberal and colonial drift of this State” .
Strong criticism in the presidential camp
Submitted within the framework of the day reserved for the texts of the communist group, the resolution had been the subject of strong criticism in the presidential camp, from the right and the extreme right, but also from elected socialists, as well as from the Council representative of Jewish institutions in France (Crif). “Whether the reasons are political, security or religious, the colonization policy is contrary to international legality”, hammered Jean-Paul Lecoq, arguing that the situation of the Palestinians “juridically falls under a situation of apartheid”.
“It is an institutionalized regime, engraved in the stone of the law (…), having as its goal the oppression of one group over another (and) institutionally maintained in place”, he listed, citing “the hundreds of resolutions of the UN, (…) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe”, and “the investigations and reports published by NGOs”.
Support for rebellious MPs and environmentalists
His resolution, which would not have been binding, called on the executive to recognize the “State of Palestine”, the tabling of a resolution at the UN to impose on Israel “a strict arms embargo” , and the repeal of “circulars prohibiting calls for a boycott of settlement products”. He received the support of rebellious deputies and ecologists but not of the socialist group. The resolution was defeated by 199 votes to 71.
“I understand your legitimate desire to bring the question of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict out of indifference”, declared Jérôme Guedj (PS), however rejecting the term “apartheid”, accusing it of “racializing and essentializing” a “conflict of territory”, transforming it into “conflict between Jews and Arabs”. The rest of the Assembly also spoke out against it, the president of the Renaissance group Aurore Bergé denouncing a “gesture of detestation of the State of Israel”, “offense” and “defamation”, and castigating a ” obsession” against Israel.
A term “largely excessive and inappropriate”, says Laurence Boone
“France is the friend of Israel”, then hammered Laurence Boone, Secretary of State in charge of Europe, rejecting a term “largely excessive and inappropriate”. “Today anti-Semitism is mainly on the left,” said related LR MP Meyer Habib, whose constituency of French people living abroad includes Israel, and who is close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“These are deep insults” and “defamatory attacks that take us away from a path of peace”, castigated Elsa Faucillon (PCF) in a tense end to the session. “Anti-Semitism we vomit it, we hate it”, had also launched the rebellious Aymeric Caron. “Let’s not confuse criticism of the policy of the Israeli government (…) with anti-Semitism”, called in a press release the Renaissance vice-president of the Foreign Affairs Committee Mireille Clapot, the only deputy of her group to abstain on the text. “I recognize the merit of this resolution for having put the subject back in the public debate”, she justified without “adhering to content likely to stir up dramatic antagonisms”.