Macron strives to amplify his global image beyond reality The hypocrisy of Paris

After the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, France appeared to be one of Israel's most consistent allies in the Middle East. Paris allocated additional weapon systems for the needs of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), most actions in support of the Palestinians were banned, and the Élysée Palace repeatedly expressed concern for the fate of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

During those days, French President Emmanuel Macron stated, "We assure Israel and its citizens that we stand by their side, unequivocally on their side, and support their legitimate response to the terrorist attack. Israel has the right to self-defence and to eliminate terrorist organizations, including Hamas." The Israeli publication Kikar HaShabbat noted that even David Ben-Gurion could not have expressed himself better than the President of France.

But in recent weeks, the French Paul has suddenly turned into Saul. Speaking at a United Nations meeting, Emmanuel Macron suddenly declared that the expansion of Israeli attacks on Lebanon would have serious consequences. Following this, the President of France called for an embargo on arms shipments to Israel. France also prohibited Israeli defence companies from participating in the international arms exhibition Euronaval. Among the sharp statements made by him was the phrase that "Mr. Netanyahu must not forget that his country was created by a UN decision."

According to an official communiqué published by the Élysée Palace and the office of the Prime Minister of Israel, in a telephone conversation that took place between Emmanuel Macron and Benjamin Netanyahu in early October, Macron stated that "the time has come for a ceasefire." In response, Netanyahu noted that restrictions on arms shipments to Israel would only strengthen the "axis of evil" led by Iran. Following their conversation, the politicians acknowledged that there are differences between them regarding the situation in the Middle East, but they are striving for mutual understanding.

Macron's actions have sparked outrage among the Jewish community in France, as well as pro-Israel politicians and lawmakers. According to the Council of Jewish Institutions in the country, these statements "do not contribute to achieving peace; they are tantamount to playing into the hands of Hamas and Hezbollah," and they "endanger all those who hold the fight against terrorism close to their hearts."

The Speaker of the Senate of France, the second most important person in the country according to the constitution, Gérard Larcher, in response to Macron's remarks, stated, "Doubting the existence of Israel raises fundamental questions for me... I am simply astonished that such comments could be made."

The Israeli Prime Minister himself reacted to the incident with an angry post on social media platform X: "As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should be standing firmly by Israel’s side. Yet President Macron and other Western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel. Shame on them!"

The Director of the Paris Institute for Advanced Study, Nevzet Celik, pointed out that Macron made his bold statements at the XIX Francophonie Summit, where about 100 French-speaking countries were represented, most of which were once colonies of Paris. In recent years, France has been concerned about losing its influence in these countries to Türkiye, Russia, and China, and is trying to regain its lost positions. One of these countries is Lebanon, which was a mandate territory from 1920 to 1943. The French view Lebanon as a "close neighbour," a region of interest dating back to the Crusades. There has not been a single crisis in the history of this Middle Eastern country that official Paris has not intervened in.

Experts have long written about a possible conflict between Israel and France over the Lebanese issue. Back in April of 2024, covering a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries, Stéphane Séjourné and Israel Katz, the conservative publication Newsmax noted that Séjourné delicately hinted to his colleague that "France and Israel could face military confrontation if future actions by the Israeli army against Hezbollah jeopardize the 20,000 French citizens living in Lebanon."

Moreover, sources from Newsmax noted that the weapons supplied by Paris to the Lebanese army often end up in the hands of Hezbollah and are used against Israel.

According to Celik, the threats to halt arms shipments to Israel are primarily symbolic. Their volume does not exceed 30 million euros, which is a negligible portion of the Israeli defence budget, 69 per cent of which is funded by the United States, and 30 per cent by Germany.

He is supported by Professor Bertrand Badie, an honorary professor at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, who believes that Macron's démarches are "rhetorical" in nature, as they are not backed by any real actions, and their true addressee is US President Joe Biden: "Macron is showing that Europe, or at least one of the European countries, has a position on this issue that differs from that of the United States." Middle East specialist Sébastien Boussois echoes this sentiment, writing that Macron "delusionally thinks that France's simple solution, which will not have a significant impact, can convince the US to cut off supplies to Israel."

The Israeli publication Kikar HaShabbat believes that changes in French policy are linked to numerous diplomatic failures of the French president both in Europe and in the Middle East.

Moreover, Russian political analyst Stanislav Tkachenko writes that Macron's anti-Israel statements are linked to French domestic politics: "He has decided to attract more voters to his side with an eye on the next electoral cycle. Perhaps the French leader is preparing for early parliamentary elections, or maybe he is considering who will inherit the Élysée Palace... Overall, this statement is populist, but it is driven by significant changes in public opinion in France." Russian journalists also emphasize that, according to data from the newspaper Figaro, just before Macron's bold statements regarding the Middle Eastern conflict, his approval rating fell to a historic low of 22% among voters.

Ultimately, the attempts of the French president to play the role of the Marquis de Posa will lead to quite unfavourable consequences for France's foreign policy. Critics of Israel are unlikely to believe in the sincerity of the Élysée Palace's occupant, who has long positioned himself as the best friend of the Israelis. While Macron was defending himself against criticism from Israeli and French politicians, the non-governmental organization EuroPalestine filed a lawsuit against the French president in the International Criminal Court, accusing him of complicity in "war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide."

Supporters of Israel were offended by the sudden stab in the back from a hypocritical ally. The Israeli press reminded readers that the Vichy regime actively participated in the Holocaust of European Jews.

The United States was outraged by France's attempts to portray itself as more than it actually is on the world political stage. All participants in the political process understand that behind Emmanuel Macron's words lies nothing but a display of his own impotence. As Tkachenko writes, "France is no longer a major actor in the Middle Eastern region. It supplies arms to the monarchies of the Persian Gulf and fulfils some deliveries to Israel. But what is key for Israel is its cooperation with the United States."