What would you do if you were in Israel's place? Never judge someone—or a country—until you stand in their shoes. This question is directed at Western citizens and their leaders. Try, for a moment, to imagine the situation and project it onto yourselves.
In this article, I use France and its president as a prominent example of Western countries known for their critical stance toward Israel and the appeasement of Muslims who gradually gain influence and political leverage. These well-meaning or naive leaders understand but fail to internalize that this influence could become a moral, social, and security burden they may regret someday.
French President Emmanuel Macron is undoubtedly not antisemitic. On the contrary, France has often stood by our side and supported Israel on many significant issues. However, Macron’s current conduct reminds us how antisemitism re-emerges globally when it perceives Israeli vulnerability or when Israel must attack its enemies for self-defense. This questionable behavior shifts to support when our enemies surprise us, as occurred on October 7, when we thought France, Britain, and other nations were firmly by our side.
Macron, whose country has supported Lebanon for decades, and his predecessors didn’t seem overly concerned for the Lebanese people when Hezbollah—an Islamist terrorist organization backed by Iran—brutally took over Lebanon and destroyed it economically, religiously, and socially. I encountered this beauty when I crossed Lebanon repeatedly during the First Lebanon War, from Beirut northwards to the resort town of Jounieh. When Iran-Hezbollah took control of Lebanon, France, and the West stayed silent—except for the United States and Germany, which responded appropriately.
Under Macron’s leadership, France joined the just war against ISIS. In Mosul, most buildings were destroyed, and over 40,000 innocent civilians died. ISIS did not launch rockets on French cities; yet, against us, Hamas has fired thousands of rockets and launched incendiary balloons to kill our civilians and burn our crops.
Yet this does not stop you, Mr. Macron, from lecturing us and supporting us in our defense but forbidding us from eliminating our enemy to prevent them from resurfacing, as any sovereign nation would do. When we respond to aggression, you call for an immediate ceasefire. To demonstrate your resolve, you impose arms embargoes on Israel, a country whose fall could open the gates of hell on France and Europe.
The old saying goes that the French are good at nothing except surrendering. This reputation was earned after their swift and humiliating defeat to Germany in May 1940 and the subsequent surrender. If not for the Allies, led by Britain and the United States, liberating France in June 1944, Macron might still be speaking German today.
Macron, what would you do if 21,000 German terrorists invaded France on October 7, killed 8,500 innocent French civilians (adjusted proportionally to Israel’s population), and brutally abducted 1,750 French children, women, men, and the elderly? Would you limit yourself to expelling the terrorists, or would you also punish the government that sent them? Could you uphold the same high moral standards as Israel and the IDF, striving to kill only terrorists while minimizing harm to innocent civilians?
Undeniable support
We cannot ignore France’s support for Israel since its founding, and for that, they deserve gratitude. However, the current actions and attitudes of France’s president cast a heavy shadow over the authenticity of this past support.
It would be wise for Macron to remember that those who play with fire get burned. The day may come when France's Muslim immigrants feel strong enough, and Macron’s appeasement of them could prove too late. He may find none nearby if he seeks Roosevelts or Churchills to rescue him.
It would be better for France and all our Western allies to join Israel and use the rare window of opportunity created to eliminate Islamic terrorism once and for all, as the IDF has courageously done since October 7. Let us unite to dismantle Iran's terrorist regime and its nuclear project, a threat to the entire enlightened world.
The author is a strategic communications consultant at Peer Levin Communications.