The Emir of Qatar (left) and the French President evaluated the current efforts to provide aid to Gaza and secure a ceasefire (French)

Paris -

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, condemned the "genocide of the Palestinian people" and "forced displacement" during his visit to the Elysee Palace on Tuesday, while French President Emmanuel Macron indicated that "the release of the Israeli hostages is an absolute priority for Paris."

During the two-day visit of the Emir of Qatar, the two countries announced coordination to bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, and a joint commitment of 200 million euros for the benefit of the Palestinian people.

At a time when calls for an immediate ceasefire and a ban on the export of weapons to Israel continue, observers believe that Paris’s handling of the war file in the Gaza Strip is relatively stable, and is changing slowly and cautiously.

French diagonal format

The Elysee announced in a statement that 3 French-Qatari cargo planes loaded with 75 tons of goods will head to Al-Arish, in addition to the arrival of 10 ambulances, food supplies, and 300 family tents.

Adrien Gumi, the French MP for the “Republic En Marche” party, said: “The visit of the Emir of the State of Qatar is an important event for French political leaders, because it reflects the depth of relations between the two countries, and the fact that Qatar is a major partner in efforts to achieve stability in the region, and we have already seen this in the role of Doha released the hostages a few months ago.

In his speech to Al Jazeera Net, Gomi touched on the President of the Republic's call several weeks ago to open all crossing points that allow the shipment of basic humanitarian and medical aid, referring to the French helicopter carrier "Dixmode", which allowed the reception of civilian residents from Gaza and the treatment of 120 seriously injured people.

Steady and cautious stance

Through Macron’s statements yesterday, Tuesday, France’s position appears firm with regard to combating Hamas, which it considers a terrorist movement, and the release of hostages, but the Israeli occupation’s plan to go beyond simply eliminating the movement by attacking civilians and destroying the Gaza Strip constituted a turning point in French handling of this file.

The expert in French and international politics, Pierre-Louis Raymond, pointed out that the executive authority in Paris was convinced of the necessity of communicating with the active parties in this conflict, including the Arab countries, instead of blindly siding with the Israeli side.

In his interview with Al Jazeera Net, the same expert described France’s position after the Hamas attack on October 7 as “faltering and cautious,” stressing the Elysee’s strong desire today to “redirect its political course sincerely toward the constants of the Republic, regardless of the Prime Minister’s reaction.” "Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu, because the priority now is focused on calm, negotiations and a ceasefire."

This was confirmed by the representative of the ruling party, Gumi, by saying, “The position of the President of the Republic has always been consistent. He condemned the Hamas attack and declared Israel’s right to defend itself as a legitimate and understandable right. The current difference is that France considers that Israel’s response to the attack must be done in a manner "is consistent with international humanitarian law and the rules applicable to democracy."

However, MP from the “Proud France” party, Jerome Le Gavere, describes France’s position as “ambiguous and weak in impact,” comparing Macron’s resounding statements regarding the war in Ukraine, where he went so far as to say that sending French forces is not unlikely, and the war in Gaza, to answer the question: Can he speak with the same intensity against Israel? Of course not.”

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Le Gavre added, "I did not hear the President of the Republic or his ministers say that Israel is guilty of committing a mass massacre, which means that the deep policy of the French state has not changed and is still complicit."

Recognition of the Qatari role

Qatar and France share old friendly relations, and this visit strengthens this on several levels. On the political level, former Senator Gilbert Roger believes that the meeting with the Emir of Qatar represents “French recognition of the central role that Doha plays in the region.”

Roger, who served as Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in the French Senate, and Chairman of the “Palestine-France” parliamentary group, added, “Although I do not know what is happening inside the closed rooms of the Elysee, I do not rule out that the issue of the two-state solution is on the agenda.” ".

In turn, expert Raymond described the coordination between the two countries as “essential, because it indicates Qatar’s pioneering role in the region as an Arab diplomat with a global stature,” considering that the negotiations carried out by Doha are “a basic card for France, which seeks to lead the European position after it had been Dying or in a coma," he said.

On the other hand, the political analyst specializing in French and international affairs pointed out that Paris relies in its foreign policy on the concept of “pragmatism,” and that it is well aware of the privacy of Qatar and its unique relationship with the Palestinian leaders. Therefore, this visit comes as a clear recognition by the French side of the Qatari role aimed at To put an end to the ongoing conflict.

Duality of standards

Representative Le Gavre believes that “the French position is characterized by hypocrisy and blatant double standards. After the executive authority provided its unconditional support to Israel, Macron’s statements and some of his ministers changed, due to the dangerous situation in the Gaza Strip, but all their statements are empty words as long as France continues to deliver weapons to Israel.” ".

Le Gavre recalled the interrogation by Mathilde Bannot, head of the parliamentary group of the “France Proud” party in the National Assembly, of Foreign Minister Stephane Ségornet, about whether France was continuing to provide military aid, saying that “the minister’s answer did not specify the exact quantity or ammunition, but he confirmed that our country "We continue to send weapons to a country that is still committing a mass slaughter against an entire people."

The French representative considered that "there is a huge difference between actions and words, and with regard to humanitarian aid, I do not think that the matter is much different after France stopped providing aid to UNRWA allocated to Palestinian refugees, thus reducing it to more than half," he said.

Regarding the coordination that took place in recent days between France and Jordan, Le Gavre hopes that “the aid packages will reach the people of the Gaza Strip, both in the south and in the north, in a dignified and favorable manner, instead of the humiliating manner in which French planes dropped aid from the sky into the middle of the sea, in a scene.” "Shameful and sad."

Source: Al Jazeera