"We must stop this spiral of force and revenge. We must work to provide a justice response," former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said Tuesday on France Info. "There are times when it takes courage. The direction to follow is to prevent Benjamin Netanyahu from continuing his suicidal logic that will turn Israel into a state under siege," he urged, as the Israeli army continues its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
This response, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2002 and 2003, is "neither targeted nor proportionate". Asked about the risks that the Israeli State's offensive poses to the civilian population, Dominique de Villepin said that "this collateral damage is not accidental (...) They are predictable and perfectly assumed."
'A policy of revenge'
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We are essentially in a policy of revenge, Israel has the right to self-defense, but self-defense is not an indiscriminate right to kill civilian populations," he added. According to the Islamist organization Hamas, since October 7, more than 10,000 people have been killed in the Israeli response, including more than 4000,<> children. "This war being waged today is the illusion of a possible peace, it will not happen," de Villepin said. Israel is putting itself in danger with this type of war and this type of strike." He concluded: "Neither force nor revenge ensures peace and security. It's justice."
Netanyahu 'doubly failed' on October 7
The minister also criticized Netanyahu's "inability" to "learn the lessons of history" after the latter said on Monday that Israel would assume "for an indefinite period of time, general responsibility for security" in the Gaza Strip after the war.
"Netanyahu's government needs to open its eyes. [The latter] failed doubly on 7 October. In the ability to ensure the protection of the Israeli people ... and [having] encouraged a policy of occupation and colonization that continues in the West Bank and that poses another threat to Israel if a second front were to open up," he said. According to Israeli authorities, 1400,<> Israelis were killed in the attacks carried out by Hamas.
Setting up an "international administration"
"The best strategy" for the post-conflict period, according to the former prime minister, is to set up a "temporary international administration under the aegis of the UN". The latter, Arab or "partly Arab" with Western countries, would have the mission of "meeting the needs of the civilian population", "demilitarizing" the Gaza Strip and "exfiltrating Hamas members" to countries that support the terrorist group, such as Iran and Russia. "Until we do that, Israel won't live safely, and neither will we. This war waged by Israel accelerates the polarization of the world, the antagonism between the West and the rest of the world. We need to work with all states," he added.
On the two-state solution, Dominique de Villepin argues in favour of a "policy of separation that must be dignified and give the Palestinians a state where they can live, a viable and true state. Today, Israelis must leave the West Bank. This is the price of security for Israel."