In a declaration on the sidelines of the preparation of the UN conference on the two-state solution, the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, called on the Israeli government to raise the partial frost of funds intended for the Palestinian Authority. He also expressed his concern about the project of “colonization” in the E1 zone, located between Jerusalem and the establishment of Maale Adumim.
While reaffirming France’s commitment to sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians, Jean-Noël Barrot stressed that “the continuation of the blocking of Palestinian tax revenue harms regional stability and weakens the Palestinian authority in the face of extremist factions”. These funds, collected by Israel and then transferred monthly to Ramallah within the framework of the Oslo agreements, constitute an essential part of the budget of the Palestinian authority, in particular for the payment of wages and the maintenance of public services in Judea-Samaria.
Paris insists on the need to support moderate Palestinian actors to guarantee effective security cooperation, supposed to be beneficial for both Palestinians and for Israelis. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has led a complex war on several fronts, notably against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. In this context, maintaining stable coordination with the Palestinian authorities in Judea-Samaria is a strategic issue.
Regarding the development project in the E1 zone, France, like several other European partners of Israel, fears that such advanced compromise the viability of a future Palestinian state by fragmenting Judea-Samaria more. However, this criticism is part of a desire to preserve the conditions for a negotiated solution rather than in frontal opposition to Israeli policy. “It is a question of avoiding a point of no return,” said Barrot, insisting on the collective responsibility of the international community.
The French declaration is part of a diplomatic approach calling for de -escalation while recognizing the security challenges that Israel is confronted. Paris intends to play a constructive role during the conference of July 28 and 29 in New York, organized under the aegis of the United Nations, in order to revive a political dynamic towards peace.