“Everything Benjamin Netanyahu does goes against Israel’s interests,” criticizes Jean-Yves Le Drian

The former Minister of Foreign Affairs denounced, Thursday, “indiscriminate hyperviolence” in the Gaza Strip.

“This indiscriminate hyperviolence” in the Gaza Strip “is appalling and does nothing to help Israel’s security going forward”, said Thursday March 14 on franceinfo the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and current personal representative of the President of the Republic for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian. After more than five months of war between Israel and Hamas, triggered after a bloody attack by the Islamist movement, the human toll continues to rise in the Palestinian enclave and the UN fears widespread famine.

“What is happening in Gaza is dramatic”continued the former Minister of Defense under François Hollande (2012-2017). “It is a scandalous disaster and it is also a disaster for Israel”to the extent that “Generations will live in resentment”he warned. “At what point are we going to say ‘that’s it, we’ve eradicated Hamas’?”he asked himself. “It is not by eliminating thousands of children, thousands of women, thousands of men in Gaza that we will eradicate” the ideology of the Islamist movement, he asserted.

“At some point you have to stop”he added, before returning to the principle defended by France and the European Union of a two-state solution, with the construction alongside the Hebrew state of a Palestinian state. “The only possible solution to ensure Israel’s security for the future is the existence of two States (…), there is no choice, the entire international community says so”he insisted. “To do this, there needs to be a truce. The hostages must be released and then a political process must gradually begin.”estimated Jean-Yves Le Drian. “Everything Benjamin Netanyahu does goes against Israel’s interests,” concludes the former Minister of Defense.

Fear of an “extension of the conflict”

The one who forged French influence in the world for nearly ten years judges that the “radicalism of Israel” created “tensions” which can lead to “an extension of the conflict”. “I am afraid of the extension of the conflict”he insisted, returning to the role played by Iran in the area. “The big winner of all this is Iran. Iran which prevented an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Iran which showed that ultimately Israel was not completely invincible. Iran, which has put the Palestinian question at the heart of the debates and made itself its main spokesperson and which, meanwhile, continues its operations to acquire nuclear weapons”underlined Jean-Yves Le Drian.

“It is absolutely necessary to avoid a new front of conflict opening on the border between Lebanon and Israel.” he warned. Violence is, in fact, daily on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, a Lebanese group supported by Tehran and ally of the Palestinian Islamist movement. “I don’t believe that Hezbollah wants a confrontation, I don’t believe that Israel wants it, except that there are perhaps elements” in both camps “whoever wants it and accidents can happen and a spiral can be dramatic”he warned.