23 September :French President Emmanuel Macron has sharply criticised US President Donald Trump’s remarks on establishing peace in Gaza, questioning whether the international community can simply stand by and watch if humanitarian access to the territory cannot be ensured.
Macron made the remarks in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, 22 September. Just hours earlier, Trump had used the same platform to present his Gaza peace plan as a diplomatic achievement. Macron subsequently took a firm position on the situation in Gaza and the role of the international community.
“Some speak of peace,” Macron said, arguing that the peace being discussed had failed to restore humanitarian access to Gaza “even for a second”. In such circumstances, he asked whether the international community would simply stand by and watch a situation that he described as a source of shame for everyone.
In what is being regarded as his final address to the UN General Assembly, Macron criticised what he described as international inaction over Gaza. He recalled that nearly a dozen countries had recognised Palestine at the same forum a year earlier. At the time, some had argued that such recognition was merely a piece of paper. But Macron warned that continued international inaction over Gaza would raise questions about the credibility of the international community in the eyes of people around the world.
Macron also expressed concern about the situation in the occupied West Bank. Referring to what he described as daily violations there, he asked in whose name such actions were being carried out. He also noted that Hamas had never operated in the West Bank. In his view, the ongoing actions there are further narrowing, day by day, the possibility of reaching a political solution that respects Palestinians’ legitimate right to exist.
Over the past year, France has taken a tougher position on violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Alongside imposing certain national sanctions, the country has also begun a process to ban products made in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Relations between France and Israel have also come under strain over the past year. Macron said the idea that Israel’s security can be ensured by violating the sovereignty of neighbouring countries is mistaken. Rather, he argued, such actions are further weakening Israel’s present and future security.
Responding to Macron’s remarks, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended Trump’s Gaza policy. She claimed that Trump had ended the war between Israel and Hamas, secured the release of all living hostages and facilitated the return of the remains of deceased hostages to their families. She also said Trump was leading efforts to implement a 20-point peace plan for Gaza.
According to the White House, while others were merely making statements, Trump was directly addressing the complex crisis. It also claimed that no one had done more than Trump to promote peace and stability in the Middle East.
Macron first addressed the UN General Assembly in 2017. His current term as president of France is due to end in May next year, making Tuesday’s address his final speech to the UN General Assembly.
In his speech, Macron also warned of the emergence of a new international order based on power and coercion. He said the world must choose a system in which a “civilised international society”, rather than power, serves as the foundation of international relations.
According to Macron, the responsibility to stand by the United Nations is greater today than at any previous time. He said attempts by some to establish a new system of impunity cannot be accepted.
Towards the end of his address, Macron reaffirmed his support for the United Nations, declaring: “Long live the United Nations.”
Source: Provided information.