There is no “yes, but” in this case, no line of argument with possible justification. In a long-awaited speech to the nation on Thursday evening, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke in detail for the first time about Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel. He called it a “barbarism” that testified to “blind, murderous hatred.” “This is an earthquake for Israel, for the Middle East and far beyond.”
Israel has the right to defend itself and strike back – “strong and just,” said Macron, and then explained what he meant by that: Only if the reaction is fair and the Palestinian civilian population is spared will it be really strong. He called on Israel’s government to adhere to international law, even if the pain is great. Hamas described Macron as a “terrorist movement that is criminally and cynically” exposing the people of Gaza to all dangers.
The authorities counted 100 anti-Semitic acts in just five days
It was exciting to see whether Macron would try to show a political way out of the war, perhaps even aspire to a leading role in the search for peace. The fight against terrorism, he said, should not obscure the search for peace. France has always been committed to ensuring that the Palestinians have their own state. In principle, that’s true. But this Paris commitment to a two-state solution – which seems increasingly illusory – has steadily faded over the past two decades.
Before that, Macron had waited an unusually long time before making a comprehensive assessment of the war in the Middle East – so long that the French media suspected it was a hard struggle for the right words. “Restons unis!”, Macron said several times, “Let’s stay one!”. France must use its internal unity to convey a message of peace to the world. This appeal was a response to the concerns of many French people about a so-called importation of the conflict, i.e. about it spilling over. In a survey by broadcaster BFM TV, 85 percent of those surveyed said they were afraid of it.
Emmanuel Macron waited an unusually long time before making a comprehensive assessment of the war in the Middle East, and now he is addressing the French in a televised speech.
(Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP)
On Thursday evening in Paris you could already see why. Although a pro-Palestinian demonstration had been banned, hundreds still gathered in the city center chanting “Israel murderers.” The police intervened with tear gas and water cannons to break up the demonstration.
In recent days, the government has deployed thousands of additional security forces to provide even better protection for synagogues and Jewish schools in the country. The alertness is always high, even in supposedly quiet times. “It is our most important duty to protect the Jews in our country,” said Macron. Everyone remembers the dramatic attack on a Jewish school in Toulouse in 2012, in which three children and a teacher were killed, and the one on the Hyper Cacher supermarket at the Porte de Vincennes in Paris in 2015, in which four people were also murdered.
“Every conflict in the Middle East leads to an increase in anti-Semitism,” said Yonathan Arfi, president of the Jewish umbrella group Crif, which advocates for the concerns of the approximately 500,000 Jews in France. “The situation is very flammable right now.” Since the Hamas attacks in Israel last Saturday alone, the French Interior Ministry has counted around a hundred anti-Semitic incidents, including fresh graffiti on walls, swastikas and curses against Jewish people. A total of 400 such actions were reported in 2022.
“The Republic never gives up on its children,” says Macron about the French hostages
Macron said the Republic would be “relentless” with the bearers of hate. He wanted this determination to be understood as protection for everyone: sometimes the hatred hits the Jews, sometimes the Christians, sometimes the Muslims.
Before his speech, Macron invited top representatives of all parties in parliament to the Élysée Palace so that the promised unity could also be implemented into political operations if possible. The format that was recently tested for the first time was used: everyone invited had to hand in their cell phones at the entrance; they were not allowed to bring any employees with them. And they shouldn’t reveal anything that was discussed to the outside world. But not all participants wanted to stick to the agreement. As soon as the meeting was over, the talkative people told entire passages from the conversation to the reporters in front of the Élysée Palace, and they made direct quotations from them, with quotation marks and closing marks. Even the seating arrangement in the hall became public.
A deputy from the extreme left La France insoumise was also present. Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s party has drawn the ire of the entire political class because it was the only force that refused to label Hamas’ attacks as “terrorist.” Even within Nupe’s left-wing electoral alliance, the outrage against Mélenchon’s party is so great that a partner party, the green Europe Écologie, has now left the alliance.
Secrecy was also necessary at this meeting with the president because there were French people among the many Hamas hostages and the guests learned something about their fate. 17 French citizens are missing, including four children. Macron said some of them were in the hands of Hamas. Efforts are said to be underway to free them through diplomatic channels. Macron said: “The Republic never gives up on its children.”