“To accuse the Jewish state of genocide is to cross a moral threshold,” France’s foreign minister said on Wednesday.

“To accuse the Jewish state of genocide is to cross a moral threshold,” France’s foreign minister said on Wednesday.

France on Wednesday became the latest Western country to reject accusations that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, a charge that was recently brought before a United Nations court in The Hague.

Stéphane Séjourné, France’s newly appointed foreign minister, told lawmakers in France’s lower house of Parliament that “the rule of law applies to all, and systematic strikes in Gaza must cease.”

But, Mr. Séjourné added, “words have meaning.”

“To accuse the Jewish state of genocide is to cross a moral threshold,” he said. “The notion of genocide cannot be exploited for political ends. This has always been our position.”

Israel is facing the charge of genocide at the International Court of Justice, where South Africa has brought a case arguing that Israel “means to create conditions of death” in Gaza and demanding that the court order an emergency suspension of the military campaign there. The Israeli authorities deny the accusation.

  • grteEnglish
    192·
    10 months ago

    They can present themselves however they like, representing all Judaism is out of their jurisdiction. But I agree, an apartheid state claiming to represent an entire ethno-religious group could potentially inspire hate against that group in people who don’t fully consider the situation.