“To accuse the Jewish state of genocide is to cross a moral threshold,” France’s foreign minister said on Wednesday.
France on Wednesday became the latest Western country to reject accusations that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, a charge that was recently brought before a United Nations court in The Hague.
Stéphane Séjourné, France’s newly appointed foreign minister, told lawmakers in France’s lower house of Parliament that “the rule of law applies to all, and systematic strikes in Gaza must cease.”
But, Mr. Séjourné added, “words have meaning.”
“To accuse the Jewish state of genocide is to cross a moral threshold,” he said. “The notion of genocide cannot be exploited for political ends. This has always been our position.”
Israel is facing the charge of genocide at the International Court of Justice, where South Africa has brought a case arguing that Israel “means to create conditions of death” in Gaza and demanding that the court order an emergency suspension of the military campaign there. The Israeli authorities deny the accusation.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
France on Wednesday became the latest Western country to reject accusations that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, a charge that was recently brought before a United Nations court in The Hague.
South Africa has won praise at home and from other countries for challenging what they see as a Western-led global order that is biased toward Israel.
Israel was founded in the aftermath of the Nazi-led genocide of European Jewry, and Germany has rooted much of its post-Holocaust identity in the idea of supporting the Jewish state.
France, home to some of Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities, has seen fierce debates over the conflict in Gaza, including within its top diplomatic ranks.
In November, a dozen French ambassadors in Middle East and North Africa countries expressed unease over Macron’s perceived pro-Israeli stance.
Mr. Séjourné shot back that “we don’t need any lessons from your party,” as France Unbowed has faced intense criticism for refusing to call Hamas a terrorist group.
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