Emmanuel Macron is finally raising his voice on Gaza. But this firmness comes terribly late.

ByMuhammad

“What is our credibility if we continue to remain inactive against Gaza? », Launched the French president from the podium of the UN, going so far as to denounce a “spectacle which shames us all”. He also accused those who claim to ensure Israel’s security by violating the sovereignty of its neighbors of making a “disastrous mistake.” Particularly strong words. But one question remains: why did you wait so long?

Because this “inaction” that Emmanuel Macron denounces today did not fall from the sky. For months, France and several major Western powers have increased condemnations, calls for restraint and diplomatic declarations without succeeding in imposing a real balance of power capable of stopping the genocide underway in Gaza. Meanwhile, Gaza was devastated, the humanitarian situation collapsed and settlement continued in the West Bank. France itself recognizes today that the expansion of settlements and settler violence directly threaten the very possibility of a Palestinian state.

In other words, Macron is today denouncing the consequences of a policy that his detractors precisely criticize the Western powers for having allowed to continue for too long. Recognizing Palestine and finally denouncing violations of international law constitutes a diplomatic turning point. But this cannot erase the months of delay, when the political, diplomatic and economic levers could have been mobilized much earlier.

When Emmanuel Macron asks: “What is our credibility if we continue to remain inactive in the face of Gaza? », the question therefore also applies to France. The real question now is perhaps this: how many deaths, destruction and violations of law will it have taken for Paris to finally consider that words are no longer enough?

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Muhammad

Muhammad is a visionary thinker and passionate writer who has been contributing to Understanding Islam for several years.