Between concerns and calls for “de-escalation”, French deputies react to Iranian bombings on Israel

The deputies learned of the start of the Iranian bombings in the middle of the hemicycle, at the time of Michel Barnier’s general policy speech. While some preferred to remain silent, others reacted immediately.

It was nearly 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 1, when the first Iranian bombings took place in Israel, in response to the death of the leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas. Some 200 bombs have been fired at Israel, and Benjamin Netanyahu has already promised that Iran “will pay the price“. All this took place while in France, the National Assembly was still full and the speeches continued after the Prime Minister’s general policy speech.

At that moment, Michel Barnier, who must speak again, brings up the subject from the perch and announces that “The situation is getting worse in the Near and Middle East.” Surprised, Sylvain Maillard, from the Ensemble pour la République group, rushed to his phone, “to go see images, to try to understand what’s going on.”

While many refuse to raise the subject upon leaving the chamber, those who accept express their concern, notably MoDem Erwan Balanant. “This is what we feared, this escalation which obviously pushes away any idea of ​​peace and appeasement in the Middle and Near East,” he regrets.

LR Philippe Gosselin does not say he is surprised and affirms that France must provide unfailing support to Israel, “attacked by Iran, a religious regime, which is not democratic.”

“In Israel, Lebanon and Palestine, we must stand alongside the civilian populations,” believes, for her part, a spokesperson for the Socialists in the Assembly. On social networks, the president of the RN, Jordan Bardella, calls on France to “work for de-escalation”. France which has no “nothing to do in this escalation”writes Jean-Luc Mélenchon for his part at Les Insoumis.