France’s Shifting Stance: Navigating the Complex Web of Interests After October 7th.
Since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa storm operation, France has followed a fluctuating position towards the Zionist regime and the Palestinians. After the attack by Hamas, Paris expressed its political and military support to Tel Aviv along with other major European countries. At the same time, he opposed the decisions of the Zionist regime about the future of Gaza. At the institutional level, while trying to deal with Hamas within the framework of the European Union, Paris, as a permanent member of the Security Council, has tried to agree to a cease-fire in Gaza. At the international level, France is trying to play an independent role from America. At the same time, after the increase of the Zionist regime’s attack on Lebanon, Paris demanded to stop sending weapons to the Zionist regime.
France and the Palestinian, Zionist conflict before October 7th
France was one of the first countries to recognize the Zionist regime in 1949 and has been defending the right of this regime to exist and live in security for more than 7 decades. As well as a large French community in the occupied territories, France is also home to Europe’s largest Jewish community. In the economic field, in 2021, France was in the sixth rank of economic partners of the Zionist regime. On the other hand, until the war of June 1967, France had unhesitatingly supported Tel Aviv.
French positions after October 7; Full support for the Zionist regime
One of the most important approaches of French foreign policy in the Gaza war is the full support of the Zionist regime. Immediately after the attacks by Hamas on October 7, the French declared their full support for the Zionist regime in several joint statements with England, Italy, Germany, and the United States. France’s support for the Zionist regime is rooted in the distancing of the governments of this country from the policies of the Chirac era, which were aimed at balancing the relations between the Arab world and the Zionist regime during the Sarkozy, Hollande, and Macron eras. Although the French authorities opposed decisions such as the forced migration of the population of Gaza, the construction of settlements in Gaza and East Jerusalem, which were proposed by the officials of the occupying regime, such as Smurtich and Benguir, Paris has been one of the most important arms supporters of this regime.
According to the report of the French Ministry of Defense, in 2014-2022, this country issued 767 weapons export licenses worth 2.5 billion euros to the Zionist regime. The value of French weapons to Tel Aviv in 2013-2022 amounted to 207 million euros. Reports also show that France sent about 100,000 rounds of Gatling machine guns to the Zionist regime at the end of October 2023. Also, according to the Middle East Eye report in October 2023, the proportion of French citizens or French-Zionists who are present in the army of this regime is about 1.7 to 3.5 percent of the total forces. Therefore, French citizenship is the second citizenship in the Zionist Army after American citizenship.
French positions at the level of regional and international institutions
French leaders do not expect to play a role as a top actor in the last few decades, considering the deepening of relations between Arab countries, especially in the Mediterranean area, with the United States. However, they emphasize two tools to play a role as one of the main players. First, the UN Security Council, where France can have a wide influence on decisions as a permanent member of the Security Council. Second, the European Union is where France plays a role as one of the leaders of foreign policy. These two tools become important in line with the two basic principles of attention to multilateralism and the formation of a multipolar world. It should not be ignored that France has shown a dual policy in the course of its foreign policy regarding the Gaza war.
Security Council
France was the first major Western government to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Even though France did not present a draft for the Gaza war in the Security Council until the beginning of April, it supported the resolutions of Brazil and the United Arab Emirates that called for a ceasefire. Of course, these resolutions were vetoed by America. Paris also voted in favor of the resolutions of Jordan and Egypt in the General Assembly. In April 2024, France proposed a draft resolution in the Security Council that called for an immediate ceasefire between the warring parties and the immediate release of all Zionist prisoners under the control of Hamas and other groups. In this draft, Paris condemned the October 7 operation.
European Union
At the beginning of the Gaza war, France, along with Germany and Italy, in a letter to the European Union’s foreign policy official, stressed the need to take necessary measures against Hamas and its supporters. In this letter, “Europe’s strong commitment to combat the infrastructure and financial support of Hamas, while at the same time trying to isolate Hamas at the international level” was emphasized. On the other hand, with the escalation of the Zionist regime’s attacks on Gaza, French officials have emphasized the condemnation of Hamas attacks and the immediate establishment of a ceasefire in various meetings of the European Union and in meetings with the Union officials.
Failure to participate in the US coalition in Yemen
After the Yemeni attacks on the interests of the Zionist regime in the Red Sea, which led to the American decision to form an anti-Yemen coalition, France refused to join it. Although Paris shot down Yemeni drones in the Red Sea in December 2023 and President Emmanuel Macron supported greater cooperation between EU member states in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea at the European Council meeting in January 2024, in the coalition airstrikes Americans did not participate against Yemen.
Different positions in Lebanon
In the past few months, France has displayed a different policy from Palestine, with the Zionist regime’s focus on the northern borders and air attacks on Lebanon. France insists on the implementation of Resolution 1701 in the war between Tel Aviv and Beirut.