How will French citizens welcome Macron's calls for resumption of peace process? Politico's assessment of Macron's Israel visit

French President Emmanuel Macron has been the latest head of state to visit Israel amid the outbreak of military offences between the country with the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip. Unlike the US and German leaders who visited the region earlier, Macron is the second Western politician to have also met the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas after British Rishi Sunak. The Politico magazine has summarized the outcomes of this latest meeting and what Macron's remarks could mean for the Arab and Jewish communities in France, the largest ones within Europe. Caliber.Az reprints this article.

"French President Emmanuel Macron attempted a delicate balancing act during his visit to Israel on Tuesday, calling for the peace process with the Palestinians to be re-energized as he pledged solidarity with Israel in the wake of Hamas’s deadly attacks against Israel.

'The security of Israel cannot be long-lasting without a decisive relaunch of the political process with Palestinians', Macron said at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Palestinian militant group Hamas does 'not carry the Palestinian cause' and should be fought, but Palestinian aspirations must be heard 'with reason', Macron said.

Macron also suggested the remit of the international coalition fighting the Islamic State terror group should be widened to fight Hamas. 'We should build a regional and international coalition to battle against terrorist groups that threaten us all', he said.

While Macron gave little detail on how the US-led coalition would combat Hamas, his office later clarified the president’s comments and said that France was ready to 'work on ideas of action against Hamas, with our partners and Israel'. The anti-Islamic State coalition could be 'an inspiration' in the fight against Hamas, as it focuses not just on military operations but also on training, information-sharing and the fight against terrorism financing, the Elysée added subsequent to the president’s initial comments, which provoked some concern among diplomats and observers.

'Not sure this idea has been fully thought through, notably with our allies and partners', François Heisbourg, a senior advisor for the International Institute for Strategic Studies, wrote online. 'Beyond the political criticism in France and the incomprehension of our foreign partners, we can fear repercussions in the field', added Héloïse Fayet, Middle East specialist at IFRI think tank, on X [formerly Twitter], noting that Western forces in Iraq face threats from militant groups close to Iran.

Meanwhile, the French president appeared to aim for a difficult balance during his visit — offering support for Israel’s offensive against Hamas while noting that the rules of war will need to be respected in Gaza.

'It’s in the interest of Israel and its security…This fight should be ruthless but not without rules, because we are democracies that are fighting terrorists', he said, adding that the laws of war and 'humanitarian access' to civilians must be upheld.

The French president also held talks with the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, in the city of Ramallah in the West Bank on Tuesday. Macron, whose visit follows trips made by US President Joe Biden, Germany’s Olaf Scholz, and the U.K.’s Rishi Sunak, was the first Western leader to visit Ramallah since the attacks.

Macron called on Palestinians to fight 'without mercy and without ambiguity against terrorism' if they want to secure their future, with Israel and the Palestinians recognizing each other’s rights. The French president also said 'that nothing can justify Palestinian suffering', during statements to the press alongside Abbas.

'A Palestinian life is worth as much as French life, that is worth as much as an Israeli life. That’s why protecting civilians everywhere is a moral imperative', Macron said. France has argued in favor of a 'humanitarian truce' to facilitate the release of hostages held by Hamas, and get aid to civilians in Gaza.

In response, Abbas urged Macron to help stop Israel’s 'aggression' and called for an international peace conference on Gaza.

Macron’s statements will be closely scrutinized at home where there are fears the conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories will feed tensions. France is home to the largest Muslim community in Europe and the largest Jewish community in the world after Israel and the US

France has seen a spat of antisemitic attacks in recent days and has increased security at Jewish schools and places of worship. Earlier this month, a French teacher was stabbed to death in an Islamist attack on a school in northern France.

While thanking Macron for his show of solidarity, Netanyahu did not respond to Macron’s call to relaunch the peace process, instead insisting on the priority of defeating Hamas.

'This is like having ISIS in your suburbs. That’s how we live. No one can put up with that. That’s why we have to dismantle Hamas', he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Macron met with relatives of French hostages or victims of the attacks at the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. Following the meeting, Macron said the 'first objective' should be to secure the release of all the hostages, 'without any distinctions'.

Macron is on a two-day regional tour and is expected to meet leaders in neighboring countries in the Middle East. According to the French presidency, Macron will 'probably' meet the Jordanian King Abdullah on Wednesday".