Jean-Noël Barrot
@jnbarrot · World leaders & international officials
Jean-Noël Barrot is France's minister for Europe and foreign affairs.
France will end trade with Israeli settlements located in the occupied Palestinian Territories, along with eleven other countries that have made similar commitments. Why? Because the West Bank is on the brink of explosion: a frenzied expansion of the settlement enterprise in violation of international law, a flare-up of violence committed by extremist settlers against Palestinians, and acts of terror denounced by the Israeli authorities themselves. This deleterious situation gravely harms the dignity of the Palestinian people. It jeopardizes Israel's security, to which France is unwaveringly committed. It undermines the two-state solution, the only alternative to a permanent state of war. No lasting peace is possible in the Middle East unless Israel's security is strictly guaranteed. The terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, perpetrated by Hamas, the worst antisemitic massacre since the Shoah, during which more than fifty of our fellow citizens lost their lives, is an immense, indelible wound that must not be minimized or relativized. Israeli authorities must urgently end the illegal settlement enterprise and the intolerable violence that accompanies it. France cannot, through its trade, support a situation that threatens the security of Israelis and Palestinians alike, as well as peace and stability in the region. Europe must uphold the same requirement.
Translated from FrenchThe explosion of violence caused by extremist settlers in the West Bank threatens the two-state solution and is an unacceptable affront to the dignity of the Palestinian people. I will remind everyone today that the European Union cannot resign itself to products from the illegally occupied territories in the West Bank entering the European Union. It cannot, through its trade, support this activity.
Translated from FrenchOn the sidelines of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to France, I convened today at the Quai d’Orsay, together with Roland Lescure, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Minister of Energy, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Faisal Alibrahim, Minister of Economy. Our strategic partnership is moving forward: we are launching new work on oil, clean energy, transport, and digital technology. In the face of risks to our supplies, France and Saudi Arabia are strengthening their cooperation, in keeping with our climate commitments. A strategic partnership being built over time, serving regional stability and the energy transition.
Translated from French