Eurasia Press & News
On a solidarity visit to Israel, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed harnessing the anti-ISIS coalition to fight against Hamas and regional terrorism.
On a visit to Israel on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed the expansion of the international coalition established in 2014 to fight the Islamic State and al-Qaeda to help Israel fight Hamas. Still, speaking at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Macron gave no details of the potential scope of such an engagement.
The international coalition against ISIS includes 86 countries committed to eroding the group’s capabilities globally.
Elaborating on the international coalition proposed by Macron, a source at the Elysee Palace said after the press conference, “The aim is to draw inspiration from the experience of the international coalition against ISIS and see which aspects can be replicated against Hamas.” The statement added ,”It will then be up to the partners and in particular Israel to express their needs.”
The Elysee source also noted, “The international coalition against ISIS is not limited to operations on the ground, but also involves training of Iraqi forces, the sharing of information between partners and the fight against the financing of terrorism.”
The French president arrived in Israel early Tuesday morning for a solidarity visit after Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, meeting first with families of French nationals kidnapped by Hamas and held in the Gaza Strip. After speaking with the families, Macron met with President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem before meeting with the Israeli premier.
At the joint press conference, Macron reiterated that Israel has a legitimate right to defend itself. “Hamas is a terrorist group, whose objective is the destruction of the State of Israel. This is also the case of ISIS, of al-Qaeda, of all those associated with them, either by actions or by intentions,” Macron said in French, standing alongside Netanyahu.
You are not alone in this fight against terrorism, pledged Macron, drawing parallels with France’s own experiences in recent years. “I speak on behalf of a country which experienced terrorist attacks, and you were there. And I think this is our duty to fight against this terrorism, without any confusion, without enlarging the conflict,” he said.
According to estimates by the French-Jewish umbrella organization CRIF, some 200,000 French nationals live in Israel. Macron’s visit is therefore important not only as a sign of solidarity between the two states and two peoples, but also because of the large French constituency in place.
Macron stressed that with 30 French nationals killed in the Hamas attack and nine missing, France shares the same pain as Israel and is committed to the liberation of all the hostages held by Hamas. “For my country, this is the deadliest terror attack since 2016. It’s a dark page of our own history,” he noted, adding, “I’ve already met with some families this morning. I saw families who had lost their children, and their brothers. Some of them are still searching for their loved ones. I share your position that our goal should be the release of all captives.”
Macron emphasized that the battle against Hamas “must be merciless, but not without rules,” urging Israel to respect laws of war and ensure access to humanitarian aid for Gazan civilians. He also called on Israel to reestablish electricity for hospitals in Gaza, saying he discussed with Netanyahu ways to enable that without Hamas using it for the war.
Meanwhile, in his meeting with Herzog, Macron noted that Paris was in direct contact with Beirut and with Hezbollah to avoid a regional escalation.
“I’m warning Hezbollah, the Iranian regime, the Houthis in Yemen and all the regional factions threatening Israel not to take the risk of opening new fronts. This would be opening doors to a regional conflagration, where all stand to lose,” he said. Macron then added in English, “I warned against an escalation, and I warned Hezbollah and some other regimes not to be part of what is happening.”
Macron arrived in Israel 18 days after the deadliest attack in Israel in a generation, and after the arrival of European counterparts including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola. In recent weeks, Macron stressed that he would travel to Israel when a visit would be “beneficial.”
At the press conference, the French president also stressed that security for Israel can only be achieved via the renewal of political dialogue with the Palestinian leadership. Macron will travel to Ramallah in the West Bank later in the day to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
