In a recent statement, French President Emmanuel Macron declared: “We oppose the displacement of any people, reject the annexation of Gaza and the West Bank, and reaffirm our support for Gaza’s reconstruction plan.” These remarks, cloaked in diplomatic language, represent yet another example of France’s tone-deaf and hypocritical stance in the Middle East.
Let’s be clear: France has no moral authority to lecture Israel—a democratic nation defending itself against a genocidal terror campaign—especially while it struggles to secure its own borders and address the explosion of antisemitism within its own cities.
Macron’s condemnation of “annexation” and “displacement” conveniently ignores the real displacement and slaughter that occurred on October 7, 2023, when over 6,000 terrorists and Gazan civilians invaded southern Israel, massacring over 1,163 people in the worst terrorist atrocity against Jews since the Holocaust. Women, children, the elderly, and entire families were butchered, raped, and burned alive, yet France chooses to fixate on the narrative of “Gaza’s reconstruction” instead of justice for Israeli victims.
France also turns a blind eye to Iran’s regional terror empire. From Hezbollah’s rockets in Lebanon to Hamas’ reign of terror in Gaza, and the Houthis’ missile barrages from Yemen, Israel is under constant attack from Iran’s proxies. Macron’s silence on Iran’s role in orchestrating these assaults—and France’s failure to call for the dismantling of these terror groups—renders his condemnation of Israel morally bankrupt.
Fix Your Own House First
Before Macron opines on Middle Eastern geopolitics, perhaps he should address the chaos at home.
France is grappling with rising Islamic extremism, unchecked immigration, and rampant antisemitism.
Jewish communities in Paris live in fear, synagogues require military protection, and Jewish children are afraid to wear yarmulkes to school. This is the direct result of France’s failure to confront Islamist ideology within its own borders.
Instead of focusing on protecting the only democracy in the Middle East, Macron should prioritize defending the Jewish communities under threat in his own country.
Israel’s Right to Defend Itself
Macron’s call to oppose Israel’s legitimate efforts to secure Gaza following a genocidal terror attack is not only misguided—it’s dangerous. Israel is fighting for its survival, not against a state or a people, but against an Iran-backed network of jihadist organizations that glorify death and destruction.
France’s so-called “reconstruction” plan for Gaza—without addressing Hamas’ continued presence and the region’s transformation into a terror hub—would do nothing but rebuild the infrastructure of jihad. True peace in Gaza requires not reconstruction but de-radicalization, disarmament, and permanent removal of Hamas.
