Macron wants Israel defenseless while France arms Hezbollah through allies

Of all the leaders in the European Union, Emmanuel Macron is one of those who has most displayed double standards.

Israeli military equipment that could be affected by a French embargo
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Macron calls for not selling weapons to Israel five days after Iranian attack

Yesterday, the French president called for a halt to arms supplies to Israel. Macron made the statement on Radio France just five hours after Israel suffered a massive Iranian attack with 180 missiles targeting Israeli civilians, and as Israel continues to face rocket attacks launched by Hezbollah terrorists (allies of Iran) from Lebanon.

With his statement, Macron is trying to leave a democratic country that is under attack on several fronts defenceless. Fortunately, Israel has long since learned not to trust France when it comes to preparing its defense, so its dependence on French weapons is very low.

Macron sold weapons to Russia after Russia's annexation of Crimea

This is not the first time that Macron has stabbed a democratic country in the back when it is defending itself from a terrorist attack. We must remember that until 2020 France supplied weapons to Russia following the invasion and annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014, while Russia took the war to the easternmost regions of Ukraine and armed separatist groups that shot down a Malaysia Airlines commercial plane in 2014. We must also not forget that Macron did this in violation of a arms embargo imposed by the European Union against Russia, a fact that was denounced by three Polish conservative MEPs in the European Parliament in 2022.

France sells weapons to Lebanon despite knowing that they end up in the hands of Hezbollah

This is not the first time that Israel has been stabbed in the back by Macron. In June 2023, an Israeli institution, the Alma Research and Education Center (AREC), reported that Hezbollah uses Western weaponry supplied to the Lebanese Army. These weapons include anti-tank missiles, portable air defense systems, surveillance equipment, and various electronic systems. The AREC report warned: "They are quite likely to be aimed at Israel in the next conflict." One of the countries supplying these weapons is France.

In November 2023, Joseph Epstein, a legislative researcher at the Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET), warned in The National Interest: "France is Fueling the Flames of Conflict in the Middle East". The article's first line stated: "French arms sales to Lebanon should be considered indirect shipments to Hezbollah." Epstein warned:

"There is a high risk that any military equipment supplied to the Lebanese army will make its way to the terrorist group Hezbollah or its master, Iran. France has ignored this risk despite almost constant Hezbollah rocket attacks on the north of Israel and the risk of war breaking out."

Epstein added: "By supplying the LAF with APCs, Paris is providing Hezbollah with military equipment that the militant group could use against Israel if Hezbollah decides to attack." Epstein warned of the serious risk of these French weapons falling into the hands of Hezbollah: "There is evidence that the terrorist group has infiltrated the Lebanese military. Lebanese forces acquiesce to Hezbollah’s demands and have helped the group restrict UNIFIL’s [the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon] freedom of movement and access to Hezbollah strongholds."

What Macron should do about Israel and Ukraine

So, if Macron wants peace in the Middle East, the first thing he must do is stop arming Hezbollah and Iran as he has been doing until now: supplying weapons to his allies, ignoring all the warnings he has been receiving about the high risk of these weapons ending up in the hands of terrorists.

The same can be said of the French position on Moscow: Macron has continued to increase imports of Russian gas into his country, helping Putin finance his aggression against the Ukrainian people, while at the same time providing ridiculous military aid to Ukraine compared to other NATO countries. Macron is the most false and unreliable politician in the European Union, with the exception of the Spanish socialist Pedro Sánchez.

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Original photo: Efe.