The requests for arrest warrants launched by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court against Israeli leaders, including Benyamin Netanyahu, and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, led France to reiterate its “support” for the ICC. But this Tuesday, May 21, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs had to clarify Paris’ position.
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On the sidelines of outraged reactions emanating from the American administration and President Biden himself, but also those of the Israeli government itself and, to a lesser extent, of European partners, the France displayed a form of specificity, during the night from Monday to Tuesday, following the announcements explosives of the prosecutor of the Court of The Hague.
Paris ” supports the International Criminal Court, its independence, and the fight against impunity in all situations ”, has in fact the Quai d’Orsay announced in a press releasewhen Washington preferred to point out in blunt terms that it is not possible, in its eyes, to give the impression that Hamas and the State of Israelmay be referred back to back by the ICC.
This Tuesday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs had the opportunity to develop the position of French diplomacy, but also perhaps to correct the situation, to a certain extent. In front of the deputies gathered at the National Assembly for the traditional weekly questions to the government, Stéphane Séjourné returned to the Quai press release.
Broadly speaking, he assumes the position displayed in the press release. “ France recognizes the independence of the International Criminal Court, it is a principle of law perhaps obvious to everyone here as parliamentarians “, he said, as if to convey the adage that not everything that is stated is obvious. And to provide the following clarification.
Second principle, these simultaneous requests for arrest warrants must not create equivalence between Hamas and Israel. On the one hand, you have a terrorist group, which welcomed the attacks of October 7, which claimed responsibility for them, and on the other hand, you have a democratic state, Israel, which must respect international law in the waging a war that it did not start itself.
Details from Mr. Séjourné before the parliamentarians at the Palais Bourbon
“ The ICC judges must now decide on the issuance of these warrants, they will do so independently. Third principle is France’s solidarity with the Israelis and Palestinians. France is committed to seeking a political solution, this is the only possible horizon of peace », concluded the minister.
Faced with the partisan exploitation of the action of the International Criminal Court, I recalled our principles:
👉 Respect for the independence of international justice;
👉 No possible equivalence between Hamas, a terrorist group, and Israel, a democratic state. pic.twitter.com/iuIIRoI5JH— Stéphane Séjourné (@steph_sejourne) May 21, 2024
France thus joins Italy, which had estimated a little earlier that it was “ unacceptable ” And ” absurd » to put Hamas and Israel on the same level, but also Germany, which on Monday evening regretted a decision by the ICC prosecutor giving according to the government of Giorgia Meloni ” the false impression of equivalence » already regretted by Joe Biden.
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