France’s policy in recent years, particularly since the rise of Emmanuel Macron, amounts to nothing less than a betrayal of moral values. Behind polished language about human rights, diplomacy, and balance lies a troubling reality of hypocrisy, moral weakness, and even open hostility toward Israel and its allies.
Macron’s call to halt the war against Iran is not only misguided; it is entirely detached from reality. While Iran continues to promote regional terrorism, fund its proxies, and openly declare its ambition to destroy Israel, the French president chooses to point an accusing finger at those defending themselves. This is not mediation. It is moral surrender.
The absurdity becomes sharper when France prohibits Iranian exiles from protesting against the regime they fled. A country that presents itself as a beacon of liberty effectively silences victims of oppression. This is not an isolated mistake but a policy aimed at weakening those who resist tyranny while easing the path for those who enforce it.
France’s response to the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel further exposed its true face. Instead of a clear and unequivocal condemnation of the horrific massacre carried out against civilians, the world heard hesitant language, seemingly balanced but in practice blurring the line between terror and self-defense. This is not a diplomatic failure. It is a moral one.
As if that were not enough, France continues to pressure Israel to halt its operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, an armed terrorist organization backed by Iran. This demand is nothing more than an attempt to tie Israel’s hands and leave its citizens exposed to ongoing threats. In other words, France is asking Israel to pay the price of its “balance” in the blood of its civilians.
France chooses comfort, avoidance of Justice over moral standing
The problem is not limited to current policy. It runs deeper, rooted in a historical pattern. During World War II, under the Vichy regime, France chose to collaborate with evil rather than fight it. Jews were sent to death camps not only by the Nazis but also with the assistance of French institutions. It was a betrayal of the very values France claimed to uphold.
The resemblance to past events is troubling. Then, as now, France chose comfort and avoidance of justice over clear moral standing. Then, as now, it preferred to look away. France is choosing to tolerate radical Islam that is taking control of entire areas where law enforcement hesitates to enter and where religious figures impose local interpretations of Sharia law.
Even in its relations with Israel over the years, there has been no shortage of betrayal. The arms embargo before the 1967 Six Day War, one-sided positions in international forums, and the consistent tendency to blame Israel for every escalation are not accidental. They are part of a consistent pattern of distancing from democratic values when it comes to the Jewish state.
France’s anti-American stance only worsens the situation. Instead of standing alongside the United States and the West against global threats, Paris repeatedly chooses to differentiate itself, sometimes out of arrogance, sometimes due to narrow political interests. In a world of cross-border terrorism, such division is a gift to enemies.
The claim that France seeks to serve as a mediator and a balanced voice in a turbulent international arena does not withstand scrutiny. There is no balance between terrorism and democracy. France cannot be a mediator when one side receives understanding and the other constant criticism. This is nothing less than a moral distortion.
Macron’s France has lost its moral compass. It speaks of human rights while restricting freedom of expression. It speaks of peace while condemning those who fight terrorism. It speaks of justice while ignoring the aggressor.
Such a policy harms not only Israel but France itself. It undermines its credibility, weakens its international standing, and distances it from its natural allies. Worse still, it sends a dangerous message that the West is not united against the threats of terrorism.
History has taught that weakness in the face of evil does not lead to peace but to disaster. France has been there before and paid a heavy price. The question is whether it has learned the lesson or whether it is repeating it, this time under the guise of diplomacy.
The author is the CEO of Radios 100FM, honorary consul and deputy dean of the Consular Diplomatic Corps, president of the Israeli Radio Communications Association, and a former correspondent for NBC News and Galei Tzahal.