Mr President, in the face of the tragedy in Lebanon, we demand strong action from France for an immediate ceasefire»

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Tribune published in Marianne – News and debates

French and Franco-Lebanese citizens from all walks of life, dismayed by French diplomacy in the Middle East, urge the President to act in the face of the deadly escalation in Lebanon. The inaction can no longer continue: it is time for France to mobilize all its diplomatic levers to obtain an immediate ceasefire and preserve peace in the Middle East, they plead.

Open letter to the President of the French Republic

Mr. President of the Republic,

We are French citizens, French-Libyan citizens, residents in France who are horrified by this abomination unfolding before our eyes in the Middle East, with total impunity.

We are angry at the inaction of the international community, specifically that of France and the European Union. We expect you to use all possible levers to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon.

Indeed, it is more than a year since Israel has waged an endless war against the Palestinian people, violating international and humanitarian law on a daily basis. Since September 17, the Israeli government has taken the initiative to completely extend the conflict to Lebanon in what constitutes a characterized aggression. The civilian victims number in the thousands (including French nationals), more than 1.5 million Lebanese have left the country, infrastructure is in ruins, and more than 29 villages have been completely destroyed. The Israeli government is undoubtedly guilty of war crimes. Not only does the Israeli military use weapons prohibited in civilian areas, such as white phosphorus, but it also indiscriminately and disproportionately targets residential buildings, cemeteries, hospitals, and historical sites. Civilians, journalists and aid workers are targeted and deliberately killed or prevented from reaching the disaster zone by gunfire. Israel violates Lebanon’s sovereignty by invading its territory, terrorizing its population, uprooting its citizens and exacerbating internal dissensions, risking to provoke a new civil war. Isn’t that the real objective? To bring Lebanon to its knees?

Be true, Mr. President, to France’s historical tradition of friendship with Lebanon by preserving this unique place in the world where Islam and Christianity coexist!

Israel considers itself above international law; «we are the people of light,» its supremacist Prime Minister recently declared. Can the French Republic tolerate the FINUL being targeted without reacting? The complete ignorance and contempt for international justice? The International Court of Justice has demanded that Israel take precautionary measures three times in order to prevent genocide. This state has ignored it. The International Criminal Court, on the other hand, is subjected to indignity-inducing intimidation for not issuing arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.

Do you want to remain as the French President who stayed on the wrong side of history, repeating in time a «never again» that has lost all meaning? Do you want to continue to support his racist and messianic government that knows only destruction and violence and that fuels hatred, or do you want to be on the side of right and justice?

We are outraged by the beginning of this outbreak of violence and by the partiality with which this war is portrayed in France. Under the false pretext of fighting terrorism, Israel is allowing itself the worst atrocities. The Palestinians and now the Lebanese are reduced to second-class human lives, without importance; their voices are scorned and their grievances swept aside. We even hear racist and hateful remarks from some public figures aimed at dehumanizing these peoples and inciting violence. Some concoctions are trying to silence any criticism of the Israeli government. We will criticize Israel and we are justified in doing so as long as there is, as described in Resolution A/RES/ES-10/24 adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 18, 2024, a system of apartheid, an illegal occupation and a blatant denial of the rights of the Palestinians; there will never be peace for the inhabitants of the region. This is absolutely not a question of religion.

In this grave hour, there is one priority: the ceasefire. Strictly verbal protests are no longer enough. On the contrary, they have enabled Israel to go further and further in its contempt for international law.

Time is running out: We must stop the sale of all weapons and hold on to them; we must revise the agreements on trade, cultural, academic, scientific, and military exchanges. France and Europe should act in this direction; some European countries are already doing so. The European Union, Israel’s primary trading partner, has a real leverage: the suspension of the association agreement because it is subject to respect for human rights that Israel has been violating relentlessly. This suspension is also supported by at least 195 European non-governmental organizations. Resolution A/RES/ES-10/24 of the UN General Assembly emphasizes the obligations of member states in this regard.

Only effective pressure is capable of stopping the carnage in the Middle East, alongside negotiations with the Lebanese state that we want to be sovereign with an army capable of defending it and free from any foreign interference.

Mr. President, France and Lebanon have a shared history and ties that should not weaken but on the contrary be strengthened. When the country of the Cedar burns, we cannot look elsewhere. We hope that you will be faithful to the French tradition of humanism, respect for international law, and that you will work quickly and effectively towards a ceasefire.