The LFI deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis and president of the Finance Committee at the National Assembly was the guest of “8h30 franceinfo”, Sunday October 29, 2023.
“I refuse that we can wage a war with massacres of civilians, this is valid for Hamas but also for Israel”declared Sunday on franceinfo Éric Coquerel, La France insoumise (LFI) deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis, president of the Finance Committee at the National Assembly.
At war against Hamas after the terrorist attack of October 7, Israel is intensifying its offensive in the Gaza Strip. Since Friday evening, the Israeli army has been carrying out a ground operation in the Palestinian enclave and continuing its bombings. “We must mobilize more than ever to demand a ceasefire”, says Éric Coquerel. L’Insoumis believes that “public opinions can” put pressure on and obtain a return to peace or at least a truce. The MP also believes that it is necessary “reopen negotiations or peace talks on a two-state basis”stressing that he shares the same position as the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna.
“There are war crimes before our eyes” in Gaza
“We unfortunately could not have anticipated Hamas’ war crimes”on October 7 in Israel but, continues Éric Coquerel, “There, there are war crimes before our eyes” in Gaza. The deputy assumes the terms “war crimes” quoting the President of the Republic: “Emmanuel Macron said that ‘any strike on civilian infrastructure constitutes a war crime which cannot go unpunished. It was on November 23, regarding Russian strikes on Ukraine’. According to him, this also applies to the Israeli army.
“It’s not Hamas fighters who are dying, it’s Palestinian civilians”, he denounces. Éric Coquerel lists: Israel “intensive bombing of buildings, health infrastructure, more than 27 journalists have died since the start of the conflict…”
Israel is “carrying out ethnic cleansing of Gaza”
The LFI deputy goes further and accuses Israel of carrying out “an ethnic cleansing of Gaza”. According to Éric Coquerel, it is even “the objective of this war”. He accuses the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of “lean” on the bloody attack perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 in Israel to justify “reprisals”. Because according to Éric Coquerel, the real objective of Benyamin Netanyahu, “is to put an end to the possibility of a Palestinian territory”.
He continues: he “wants to ensure that there is no longer any possibility of Palestinian territory in the future, nor in the West Bank and Gaza and that the Palestinian question is settled by the question of a Greater Israel which denies these rights”. Éric Coquerel believes that, if this were not his objective, Benjamin Netanyahu “would not act like that towards Israeli hostages held in Gaza”.
Eric Coquerel deplores the ban on pro-Palestinian demonstrations in France
He emphasizes that the Israeli population is divided on the Israeli government’s strategy. “There are more critics in Israel than in France.” MP Insoumis alludes to the demonstration in support of Palestine banned on Sunday in Paris. The prefectural decree was confirmed by the administrative court. “Between 3,000 and 4,000” people still gathered.
The police made 21 arrests and 1,359 fines. “We are still one of the only countries in Europe, in democracies, where we prohibit people from demonstrating to demand a ceasefire”. Other demonstrations were authorized in other cities in France, “but not in Paris”retorts the elected official. “None of the calls, I have read them, call for any support for Hamas”he adds.
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Find the entire “8:30 a.m. franceinfo” from Sunday October 29, 2023: