“The French feel solidarity with the Israelis,” says Benjamin Haddad, spokesperson for the Renaissance group in the National Assembly

“35 victims, 9 missing including hostages in Gaza. (…) This is our worst attack since Nice in 2016“, recalls Benjamin Haddad, deputy for Paris and spokesperson for the Renaissance group in the National Assembly, on the set of 19/20 info. Asked about the mobilization of the French, Benjamin Haddad replies: “The French feel solidarity with the Israelis in the face of this barbaric terrorist attack. Yesterday there was a demonstration at the Trocadéro, we mobilized in a transpartisan way at the National Assembly to demand the release of the hostages. (…) There is a mobilization of our elite with a huge number of artists, intellectuals, experts (…). I think it also represents an awareness of French society.”

Hamas “is an enemy of both Israel and the Palestinian population”

Asked about the issues raised by Emmanuel Macron’s trip to the Middle East, the deputy recalls that the head of state “warned of a massive offensive [d’Israël]. The President of the Republic said [que les Israéliens] had the right to defend themselves within the framework of international humanitarian law, that is, to take the necessary measures to protect civilians“. According to him, the objective is “to eradicate terrorist groups like Hamas“, which he judges at once”enemy of Israel and enemy of the Palestinian population”. The MP spoke out in favor of the establishment of “humanitarian truces” and for “a two-state political solution“. If the 27 European states have not yet reached an agreement, it “notes progress towards the emergence of a geopolitical Europe“.

Benjamin Haddad also criticized the statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who called Hamas a liberation movement. “Hamas is a terrorist group so there is no reason to defend it. We can defend the Palestinian cause, (…) dialogue like the President of the Republic, and not confuse it with Hamas terrorism“, he stressed.