French President Macron called for an end to arms shipments to Israel, calling on the international community to take action at a time when Israel’s bloody attacks on Lebanon, following Gaza, are increasing. Stating that France is no longer delivering arms to Israel, Macron stressed that it is time to return to a political solution.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for an end to arms shipments to Israel, citing recent civilian deaths in Gaza and Lebanon. Stating that France has ended the shipment of weapons used in the conflicts in Gaza, where more than 44,630 civilians have died, and more than 2,000 civilians have died in Lebanon since October 7, 2023, Macron called on the international community to take a similar stance.
According to Al-Jazeera, “I think the priority today is to return to a political solution and to stop the arms shipments to fight in Gaza,” French President Emmanuel Macron said. He also stressed that France was no longer sending weapons to Israel, adding: “France is not giving any weapons.”
Macron’s statement added a new dimension to the debate over France’s arms exports to Israel. In April, Sebastien Lecornu, the French Minister responsible for the armed forces, stated that France’s defense exports to Israel accounted for only 0.2% of the country’s total defense budget. It was stated that only 15 million euros of the 2022 defense budget of 27 billion euros was used for arms deliveries to Israel.
Macron’s statement reflects concerns that have long been voiced by groups and parties in France. In an open letter to Macron in February, Jean-Claude Samouiller, head of Amnesty International in France, called for the immediate suspension of all arms and military equipment sales to Israel. Meanwhile, members of parliament from the far-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party have long criticized the French government’s military exports to Israel.
Macron’s stance is also in contrast to the United States’ (US) approach to Israel. The US provides Israel with 3.4 billion euros of military aid each year under a 10-year agreement. This contradiction once again highlights the differences in the Middle East policies of Europe and the US.
As Macron made this statement, thousands of people gathered in central Paris to hold demonstrations demanding an end to the Israeli massacre in Gaza and Lebanon. Not only in Paris, but also in Rome, Brussels, London, and Athens, thousands of protesters took to the streets on the same day to demand an end to the conflict in Gaza. These mass demonstrations revealed the international community’s increasing sensitivity to the violence in the region.
According to Euro News, “US says it will not limit arms transfers to Israel after some aid improvements to Gaza.”
According to Al-Jazeera, The event intended to raise funds for the Israeli military. Called Israel is Forever, the gala was planned by an association of the same name whose stated goal is to “mobilize French-speaking Zionist forces.”
Hundreds of protesters marched through central Paris on Wednesday night, denouncing the “gala of hatred and shame.”
The demonstrations took place on the eve of a high-stakes football match between France and Israel at the Stade de France, north of Paris. The authorities in the French capital announced that more than 4,000 police officers and 1,600 stadium staff will be deployed for the game on Thursday.
