Middle East war: France provokes Israel's anger but satisfies the Gulf states

By refusing passage through its airspace to a plane carrying American bombs destined for Israel, France provoked the anger of Israeli authorities. Tel Aviv announced its intention to suspend its military imports from France. However, France's position in the Middle East war is appreciated in the Gulf states.

“This is the last straw,” an Israeli official told the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, adding, “We have sent the message that we are done with them.” Following Paris’s refusal to allow a plane carrying American munitions to cross its airspace bound for Israel, Israeli authorities are making no secret of their anger toward France.

The anger is all the greater because Israel had worked to convince France to allow the aircraft to fly over its territory. On its website, the Israeli television channel Channel 12 points out that the authorities had explained the importance of the munitions for its operations and assured that they would only be used in strikes against Iran. These operations "contribute to the security of Europe," the spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Defense told Agence France-Presse.

Retaliatory measures

Israel has found another route for the delivery of these bombs. But its Ministry of Defense accuses France of having acted, in recent years, "on several occasions […] to undermine Israel's security and the operational capacity of its defense industries." It states that it considers "the policy of the French government with the utmost seriousness." And retaliatory measures have already been taken. The visit of Alice Rufo, Minister Delegate to the French Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs, scheduled for Sunday, has been canceled. And the Ministry of Defense has announced it will "reduce to zero" its military imports from France. These imports are, however, limited: France does not sell weapons to Israel but, according to French authorities, "components intended in particular to be integrated into defensive systems or to be re-exported to third countries."

This Israeli decision marks a further deterioration in relations between France and Israel, which have been marked by numerous crises since the Hamas massacres in Israel on October 7, 2023, and the start of the retaliatory war launched by Israel in the Gaza Strip, which has been accused of genocide. The crisis reached its peak last summer when Emmanuel Macron decided to recognize the State of Palestine. Israel strongly condemned this recognition. For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this French announcement was "a huge reward for terrorism." And the country had considered ordering the closure of the French Consulate General in Jerusalem, which serves as the country's representation to Palestine.

This escalation was ultimately avoided, and since then, France had made conciliatory gestures toward Israel. In November, Emmanuel Macron authorized Israeli arms companies to participate in a trade fair in France. The following month, Paris confirmed its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, even as calls for a boycott were mounting due to Israel's participation. Finally, in February, the Foreign Minister, speaking before the National Assembly, joined Israeli criticism of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese. But with this new conflict, relations have become strained once again. At the outbreak of the war, Emmanuel Macron stated that the Israeli-American operations in Iran were being conducted "outside of international law." And France is also critical of Israeli operations in Lebanon.



Stabilizing force

France has not reacted to Israeli criticism, but, also attacked by Donald Trump, it maintained its consistent position: "This decision is in line with the French position since the beginning of this conflict," the Élysée Palace responded to the US president. Like other European countries, France has always refused direct involvement in this conflict despite Donald Trump's demands. And with this refusal of overflights, it is signaling that it also does not want to offer logistical support to Israeli-American operations.

However, Emmanuel Macron ordered the deployment of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Eastern Mediterranean. The measure aims to ensure the protection of France, its citizens, and its bases in the Middle East. But for Macron, it was also about ensuring the security of "allies in the region." Paris has signed defense agreements with three Gulf countries that found themselves under attack from Iran: Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. In the eyes of the oil monarchies, this Israeli-American war has destabilized the region. Conversely, France wants to be seen as a stabilizing force. And this position is appreciated by leaders who are very committed to maintaining peace in order to pursue the economic development of their countries. A source in the Emirates told RFI that this conflict revealed who the Gulf countries' true allies are. France, unlike the United States, was among them.