Former Israeli ambassador to France, Eli Barnavi, and historian Vincent Lemire, called on French President Emmanuel Macron today, Tuesday, to impose sanctions on Israel, emphasizing the necessity of this action in light of the catastrophic humanitarian situation experienced by the residents of Gaza and the Israeli detainees there.

In an article published by the French newspaper Le Monde, the authors stated, "Mr. President, if immediate sanctions are not imposed on Israel, you will have to acknowledge a graveyard. Action must be taken now to allow food and healthcare supplies to reach Gaza widely."

They pointed out that immediate and tangible sanctions are the only means that will affect Israeli public opinion, which may push the Israeli government to change its policy, with the aim of ending the famine, ensuring a permanent ceasefire, releasing all detainees, protecting Palestinians in the West Bank, and saving Israel from itself.

They also considered that "the excuse of a lack of European consensus is no longer valid," at a time when the French president announced his intention to recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly next September, with Britain and Canada later joining him, reflecting an increasing diplomatic momentum to support the Palestinian cause.

The authors urged France to lead a coalition of European countries willing to impose sanctions, stressing the need to act now, as the situation has become extremely urgent. They noted that Israel approved the annexation of the West Bank by a majority of 71 votes to 13 in the Israeli Knesset last July.

The article addressed criticisms of European double standards, as the European Union issued 18 packages of sanctions against Russia over the past years, yet did not impose any sanctions on Israel despite its ongoing violations, considering that Israel's geographical isolation would make the sanctions more effective and noticeable immediately in all the country's stores.

The authors warned that "Mr. President, do not confuse diplomatic noise with the ground reality. Since your announcement on July 24, everything has changed diplomatically, but nothing has changed in Gaza," adding that "the promise of recognition does not satisfy hunger."

It is worth mentioning that Barnavi served as Israel's ambassador to France from 2000 to 2002, while Lemire is a historian at the University of Paris Est Créteil, and managed the French research center in Jerusalem from 2019 until August 2023.

Since October 2023, the Israeli occupation army, with the support of the United States, has been waging a genocidal war against the residents of the Gaza Strip, resulting so far in the martyrdom of more than 61,000 Palestinians, injuring over 150,000, and displacing nearly all the residents of the strip, amid unprecedented destruction since World War II, according to Palestinian and international reports.