Solidarity visit to Israel
Macron proposes large anti-Hamas alliance
October 24, 2023, 3:14 p.m
Because the highest terror alert level applies in France after an Islamist teacher murder, France’s president is traveling to Israel late. To fight Hamas, Macron proposes an international alliance like the one used against the Islamic State.
During his visit to Israel, President Emmanuel Macron spoke out in favor of the use of an international alliance against the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas. “France is ready so that the international alliance against the Islamic State, which we have joined together for operations in Iraq and Syria, can also fight Hamas,” said Macron after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem .
“I suggest to our international partners that we build a regional and international alliance to fight against terrorist groups that threaten us all,” he added. The international alliance against the jihadist militia Islamic State (IS) was launched by the USA in 2014 to provide financial and military support for the fight against the Islamists in Iraq and Syria. It includes both Western and Arab states.
The fight must be waged “mercilessly, but not without rules,” because it is a “fight between democracies against terrorists,” said Macron. “Democracies respect the law of war and allow humanitarian access,” he emphasized, referring to the situation in the Gaza Strip, where emergency supplies have started since the weekend. Macron appealed to the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militia and Iran “not to take the risk and open another front.” This would result in a widening of the conflict in which everyone could lose, he said.
30 Frenchmen killed in Hamas attack
France’s President expressed his country’s solidarity with the Israeli population. The Hamas attack, in which 30 French people were killed and nine compatriots were still missing or taken hostage as of October 7th, is also “a black chapter in our history” for France.
He called for a political solution to the Israeli Prime Minister. “Israel’s security cannot be lasting without a decisive resumption of the political process with the Palestinians,” he said. Hamas does not support the Palestinian cause and must be fought decisively. At the same time, however, the Palestinians’ concerns must be “heard rationally.”
Macron announced that he would go to Ramallah in the afternoon, where he would meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He then wanted to travel to Amman to meet the Jordanian King Abdullah II. Macron initially postponed his visit to Israel because the funeral service for a teacher murdered by a jihadist took place in the city of Arras last week and the highest terror alert level applies throughout the country.