Jean-Noel Barrot Archives - CrossFireArarbia

Macron: Persona Non Grata in Israel

CrossFireArabia
September 5, 2025

Israel signaled Thursday it will rebuff any visit by French President Emmanuel Macron over his country’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a phone call with his French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, that France’s move to recognize Palestinian statehood would “undermine stability in the Middle East and harm Israel’s national and security interests.”

“Israel seeks good relations with France, but France must respect Israel’s position when it comes to matters essential to its security and future,” Saar said during the call as cited by his office’s statement according to Anadolu.

He stressed that any visit by Macron “has no place” as long as France pursues the recognition move.

According to The Times of Israel news outlet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has conditioned any visit by Macron on scrapping his move to recognize a Palestinian state.

There was no immediate French comment on Saar’s statement.

France and several European countries, including Belgium, the UK, Canada, and Australia, plan to recognize Palestinian statehood during the upcoming meetings of the UN General Assembly on September 8-23, joining 147 nations that already do.

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France Condemns Israel’s Plan to Occupy Gaza

CrossFireArabia
August 8, 2025

France, Friday, condemned in the “strongest terms” the Israeli government’s plan to occupy Gaza, reiterating its “firm opposition” to the scheme.

“France strongly condemns the plan adopted overnight by the Israeli government to once again extend its military operations to take control of Gaza City, with the aim of militarily controlling the entire Gaza Strip,” the Foreign Ministry wrote in a statement.

It reiterated France’s “firm opposition” to any plan to occupy the Gaza Strip and forcibly displace its population, underlining that such actions would lead to “serious violations of international law” and an “absolute deadlock.”

“They would undermine the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians to live in peace within a viable, sovereign, and contiguous state, and would pose a threat to regional stability,” the ministry said.

It further reaffirmed that France will continue to work for implementation of a two-state solution, stressing that the future of the Gaza Strip “must be part of a future Palestinian state led by the Palestinian Authority.”

“France will continue the work initiated in New York, together with its partners and the United Nations, to deploy a temporary international stabilization mission to ensure the security of both Israelis and Palestinians. It calls on its partners and all other states to join this collective effort,” it added, referring to a recent conference on a two-state solution.

On X, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also denounced the Israeli plan.

“France strongly condemns the Israeli government’s plan aimed at preparing for the complete occupation of Gaza. Such an operation would worsen an already catastrophic situation without enabling the release of Hamas hostages, its disarmament, or its surrender,” he wrote.

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France to Airdrop Mass Aid Into Gaza

CrossFireArabia
July 29, 2025

France announced Tuesday that it will airdrop a total of 40 tons of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip starting Friday.

“We will organize, starting Friday and in close coordination with Jordanian authorities, four flights carrying 10 tons of food each into the Gaza Strip,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French broadcaster BFM TV, as he is co-chairing a high-level conference on a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at UN headquarters in New York according to Anadolu.

Stressing that the air route is “useful” but “not sufficient,” he noted that 52 metric tons of French humanitarian cargo are currently blocked just a few kilometers from the Gaza Strip.

“It is therefore essential that Israeli authorities finally agree to reopen land access to Gaza in a sufficiently meaningful way to ease the horrific suffering of the civilian population there,” Barrot said.

He further reaffirmed that they had achieved and “even exceeded” the goals that they had set by creating momentum with Britain’s announcement that it is considering recognizing the state of Palestine.

“Other countries are following suit,” Barrot said. “In short, we have revived a political horizon: the two-state solution, which was on the verge of collapse.”

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Saudi Will Not Normalize With Israel Unless…

CrossFireArabia
July 28, 2025

Saudi Arabia will not normalize relations with Israel unless a Palestinian state is established and the war in Gaza ends, the kingdom’s foreign minister said Monday, signaling Riyadh’s clearest stance yet linking recognition to progress on a two-state solution.

Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan made the remarks at a press briefing with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in New York, following a high-level international conference on implementing the two-state solution, co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France.

“For the kingdom, recognition is very much tied to the establishment of the Palestinian state,” Prince Faisal said when asked whether Saudi Arabia could relaunch the Abraham Accords recognition for Palestine as a prerequisite for normalizing relations with Israel.

“We certainly hope that the clear consensus shown today – which will be shown tomorrow as well – and the clear momentum towards establishing that Palestinian state can open the conversation about normalization,” he added.

Faisal emphasized that normalization with Israel cannot be discussed while Israel’s genocide continues in Gaza according to Anadolu.

Talks “can only open first if the conflict in Gaza ends and if the suffering of the people of Gaza is alleviated,” he said. “Because there’s no reason, even, or no credibility, to have a conversation about normalization with constant death and suffering and destruction in Gaza.”

“And then we have to talk about the establishment of the Palestinian state. And once that is achieved, then obviously we can talk about normalization,” he added.

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France Condemns Re-occupation of Gaza

CrossFireArabia
May 6, 2025

French foreign minister “firmly” condemned on Tuesday Israel’s new plan to fully occupy Gaza Strip.

“It is a very firm condemnation, because it goes against international law,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke to the broadcaster RTL.

Barrot noted that Israel’s recently announced plan to fully occupy the Gaza Strip and take control of all humanitarian aid is “not acceptable.”

“The urgent priority is, of course, a ceasefire, but also the massive and unhindered access of humanitarian aid, because the Gaza Strip—the Palestinians living there—are lacking in a dramatic way,” he added.

Barrot reaffirmed that they are working to defend the international humanitarian law alongside other countries.

“Even when there is war, we respect a certain number of rules: we do not target civilians, we do not attack humanitarian workers, and we ensure that humanitarian aid can always reach the people,” he said, reiterating the need to respect the “integrity” of laws of war.

Barrot further highlighted the risk of famine in Gaza, calling for an access to humanitarian aid.

“France calls on Israel to implement a ceasefire, to allow humanitarian aid to reach the population within the enclave of Gaza,” he added.

Barrot also confirmed that France could recognize the State of Palestine once the other countries do the same and commitments are made according to Anadolu.