Concern among French Jews: 'Macron is playing into Hamas' hands'

"The call to deny Israel weapons does not promote peace but plays directly into the hands of Hamas and Hezbollah," stated the umbrella organization of French Jews (CRIF).

French President Emmanuel Macron's call earlier this week to halt arms shipments to Israel intended for Gaza has sparked deep concern among the French Jewish community. The statement, given just before the anniversary of the October 7th attacks, is seen as a blow to Israel's security and to the sense of safety among French Jews.

The umbrella organization of French Jews (CRIF) issued a sharp critique of Macron's statement. In a statement released by the organization, it said: "CRIF deeply regrets the statement by the President of the Republic calling for an arms embargo on Israel in its war against Hamas. The call to deny Israel weapons does not promote peace but plays directly into the hands of Hamas and Hezbollah."

The organization emphasized the importance of Israel's self-defense: "The truth is that in the Middle East, if Hamas lays down its weapons, there will be peace. If Israel is left without weapons, there will no longer be a State of Israel." CRIF also reminded that Hamas killed 48 French citizens in the terror attack on October 7th and continues to hold hostages.

Jonathan Arfi, President of CRIF, spoke to Le Monde about the feelings of the French Jewish community: "The October 7th attack caused a sudden and dizzying sense of insecurity and immense vulnerability. For Jews around the world, the State of Israel has, since its establishment, symbolically provided a sense of reassurance. On that day, beyond the trauma of watching live images of the horrific massacre, our sense of security also collapsed."

Meyer Habib, former member of the French Parliament, joined the criticism, saying: "What a disgrace, what a disappointment! On the eve of the memorial events for October 7th, Macron demands that France, and also the free world, stop arms shipments to Israel destined for Gaza!"

Rabbi Zamir Isayev, rabbi of the Sephardic-Georgian community in Baku, added: "This is a pattern we must get used to. In 1940, the Vichy government collaborated with the Nazi regime. In 1967, France imposed an arms embargo on Israel. Today, France is doing both—supporting Iran and its proxies while undermining Israel’s war efforts."

"France has no problem sending the most advanced weaponry to Armenia, which is quickly becoming an Iranian proxy in the Caucasus. Paris is not concerned by the fact that Armenia signed a major arms deal worth $500 million with Iran. Tehran is expected to supply Armenia with attack drones and air defense missile systems. In contrast, Azerbaijan continues to be viewed as Israel’s most reliable ally in the region," said Rabbi Isayev.

According to the rabbi, Israel, along with Azerbaijan, was "rebuked" by the international organization IOF—International Organization of Francophone Countries—on October 5th in Paris. The organization condemned Israel, demanding it return to the 1967 borders—referred to as "Auschwitz borders." At the same time, Baku was accused of "forcibly displacing 115,000 refugees" from Karabakh. 

This refers to officially recognized Azerbaijani territory that had been occupied for 30 years by Armenian separatists with the assistance of the Russian army. The Armenians ethnically cleansed this land, killing 16,000 Azerbaijanis in the same way Hamas massacred Israelis on October 7th. Last year, Baku liberated the area and invited Armenian residents to stay and become citizens. They left before Azerbaijani forces arrived. But this was glossed over by the IOF.

Meanwhile, experts cited in the business newspaper Globes point to France’s economic interests in Lebanon as a possible factor in its policy. "France is a significant investor in Lebanese infrastructure and one of its major trading partners. In 2022, trade between the two countries amounted to approximately $518 million. Additionally, the French energy company Total is involved in gas exploration in the region." Israeli officials have expressed concern that France’s economic interests in the area may influence its stance in the conflict.

The French Jewish community stressed that "democracies must stand together when one of them is under attack" and expressed hope that the French government would return to supporting Israel's security interests.

This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel