PARIS — In any other context, no one would have paid too much attention to a far-right politician promising hell upon his enemies. But when Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Finance Minister, declares that Gaza will be “entirely destroyed,” and its population sent to other countries, he is actually stating in what his government is about to do.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was nearly as explicit in his communication, when he said that Israeli forces, who are preparing to re-enter Gaza, “will not enter and come out.”
This means that the Palestinian territory will be re-occupied, along with the displacement of the population to the south, which will be followed by departures claimed to be “voluntary.” Tragedy added to the tragedy already in progress.
In the 19 months of war since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, such blatant intent had never been said out loud so clearly. This is no doubt an impact of the Trump effect, which has unchained the most extremist voices, everywhere — his endorsement being tantamount to a full guarantee of impunity.
In the face of this foretold nightmare in Gaza, international reactions have been quite timid, as if the rest of the world had long since come to terms with its powerlessness.
This powerlessness is both very real and openly acknowledged.
It is real because, in practice, only the United States has the capacity to have any influence on Israel and the Arab countries. Donald Trump will be visiting the Gulf states next week, and Israel has made a point of announcing that its offensive will only begin once the American president has left the region.
But this powerlessness is also openly declared, for the ties between Israel and the West are of the kind that delve deep into the roots of history, woven of profound human and political relationships, and which make breaking up so difficult.
Europe is criss-crossed by these contradictions, which make its voice inaudible, even when it speaks out.
The world’s shift from the rule of law to the rule of force now plays into the hands of Israel, which is imposing itself on the entire region, all the way from the Palestinians to the Syrians and the Yemenis.
A French Arab policy back on track?
France is trying, in a rather new way, to act as a modest counterweight. The arrival in Paris today of Ahmed al-Sharaa, president of the Syrian transitional government, is part of this strategy. A former jihadist, al-Sharaa is at the head of a fragile interim government in a country that is both exhausted and explosive.
The Syrian leader is making his first trip outside the Middle East, at a time when the Druze minority has just suffered murderous attacks by Sunni radicals, and Israel is positioning itself as the defender of the Druze.
By receiving him in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron hopes that the Syrian transition government can succeed by protecting its threatened minorities; he is also sending a message to Netanyahu not to go any further in destabilizing his Syrian neighbor.
France has also taken a leading role by announcing recently that it may recognize the State of Palestine next month, and by supporting the Arab plan for Gaza, designed to block Donald Trump’s agenda for the Palestinian territory.
These initiatives breathe new life into France’s historic Arab policy, which had seemed somewhat dead since the days of former president Jacques Chirac. The radicalization of Israel and the brutality of the Trump administration have brought it back on track. This turnaround will only make sense if it succeeds in also getting the rest of Europe on board, which is far from certain.
Otherwise, it risks adding to the feeling of powerlessness in the face of the region’s tragedies: the best of intentions, but with little impact.
