French President Emmanuel Macron has sharply criticized US President Donald Trump’s efforts to establish peace in Gaza during his address to the UN General Assembly, noting that not a single humanitarian aid corridor has been opened, writes Reuters.
In his final General Assembly address before leaving office next year, Macron stated that the world is witnessing a spectacle that should make everyone feel ashamed—referring to Trump’s attempts to portray the Gaza peace plan as a diplomatic triumph. Macron’s speech came just hours after Trump had boasted about the success of the Gaza peace plan from the very same podium.
Macron noted that a year ago, in this same hall, about a dozen countries recognized Palestinian statehood. Some cynically dismissed the recognition as merely a piece of paper, claiming the reality was different—a point Macron highlighted by dramatically slamming his fist onto the podium. He questioned the credibility of the situation given the sluggish response regarding Gaza. He noted that while some boast of a supposed peace, it has not opened a single humanitarian aid corridor for even a moment, and asked whether everyone would simply stand by and watch this shameful spectacle. In response to Macron’s criticism, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly stated that President Trump had ended the war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, freed all surviving hostages, repatriated the bodies of the deceased, and is now leading the implementation of a 20-point peace plan. While others merely talk, Trump has set about solving the problem, and no one else has achieved as much for peace in the region.
In France, Macron has faced criticism for taking no action following the recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Despite the sting of such criticism, Paris has toughened its stance against Israeli settlers, whose settlement expansion is linked to violence against Palestinians. Several national-level sanctions have been imposed, and a process has been initiated to ban the import of products originating from settlements in the occupied West Bank. Macron also addressed this issue in his remarks, urging people to look at the West Bank, where violations occur daily—despite the fact that Hamas has never operated in that territory.
France’s relations with Israel have become more strained over the past year. Macron stated that those who believe Israel’s security can be ensured by undermining the sovereignty of its neighbors are mistaken; such actions, he argued, weaken Israel’s security both now and in the future. Macron has always been a staunch supporter of the multilateral system and warned against a return to the “law of the jungle” in international politics. Nations must choose between a world governed by force and subjugation and a civilized international community. It is everyone’s duty—now more than ever—to stand up for the UN, and the new order of impunity that some seek to impose must not be accepted.
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