Haaretz Podcast ‘Deradicalize Hamas, give them less dangerous weapons and turn them into police,' says French ambassador
France’s ambassador to Israel Frédéric Journès said on the Haaretz Podcast that any postwar Gaza plan must acknowledge that completely disarming and ridding the Strip of Hamas militia members is not an achievable goal.
“You're not going to eliminate all of those people, so you basically need to find them a job in local police, find them a little job in society and de-radicalize them to the greatest extent possible,” he contended. This is possible, he said, because over the course of the war, Israel “got rid of the leadership."
Journès, who has been France’s envoy to Israel since July 2023, sat down for a wide-ranging interview with host Allison Kaplan Sommer and Haaretz diplomatic correspondent Liza Rozovsky, discussing Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and antisemitism in France. The ambassador also explains why he believes the four countries strengthened by the past two years of war are Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt.
Pressed on the podcast as to whether he supports renewing strikes on Iran aimed at its ballistic missile program, which Israel reportedly desires, Journès replied, “I'm not saying that. I will see what will happen.”
Read more:
Opinion by Frédéric Journès | Declaring a Palestinian State Is a Blow to Terror
Opinion by Frédéric Journès | Israel, Help Us Protect Our Seas and Oceans
U.S. Leaning Toward Setting Up Palestinian-run Regime for Gaza Before International Forces
Saudi, French and U.S. Officials Discuss Hezbollah Disarmament With Lebanese Army Chief
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