National Assembly rejects proposed communist resolution condemning ‘an apartheid regime’ in Israel
The National Assembly largely rejected, Thursday, May 4, a proposal for a communist resolution condemning “Israel’s institutionalization of an apartheid regime”despite calls from part of the left to support a text “on the side of international law”. At the time of the vote, 71 deputies voted for, 199 against.
In the preamble, MP Jean-Paul Lecoq, author of the text, insisted on “deep attachment” of his group “to the existence of the State of Israel”but defended the right to criticize a “illiberal and colonial drift of this state” without being accused of anti-Zionism or anti-Semitism. Submitted within the framework of the day reserved for the texts of the communist group, the resolution had been the subject of strong criticism in the presidential camp, from the right and the extreme right, but also from elected socialists, as well than the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (Crif).
“Whether the reasons are political, security or religious, the settlement policy is contrary to international legality”argued Jean-Paul Lecoq, according to whom the situation of the Palestinians “legally comes under a situation of apartheid”. “It is an institutionalized regime, set in stone by law (…)aimed at the oppression of one group over another [et] institutionally maintained in place”he listed, invoking “the hundreds of UN resolutions, (…) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe” And “investigations and reports published by NGOs”.
Its resolution, which would not have been binding, called on the executive to recognize “State of Palestine”the filing at the United Nations of a resolution to impose on Israel “a strict arms embargo”and the repeal of “circulars prohibiting calls for a boycott of settlement products”. He received the support of “rebellious” deputies and ecologists, but not that of the socialist group.
“Anti-Semitism, we vomit it, we hate it”
“I understand your legitimate desire to emerge from indifference the question of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”replied Jérôme Guedj (Socialist Party), however rejecting the term“apartheid”and accusing him of “racialize and essentialize” A “territory dispute”transforming it into conflict between Jews and Arabs. The Socialists have announced that they will present their own resolution on the subject in the coming days.
The rest of the Assembly also came out against it, the president of the Renaissance group, Aurore Bergé, denounced a “gesture of detestation of the State of Israel”, “of offense” And “defamation” and castigated a ” obsession “ against Israel. “France is the friend of Israel”then insisted on recalling Laurence Boone, Secretary of State for Europe, qualifying the word “apartheid” as “grossly excessive and inappropriate”.
“Today, anti-Semitism is mainly on the left”launched the deputy related to the group Les Républicains, Meyer Habib, close to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. “These are deep insults” and “defamatory attacks that lead us away from a path of peace”launched Elsa Faucillon, of the French Communist Party, in a tense end to the session. “Anti-Semitism, we vomit it, we hate it”had also declared the “rebellious” Aymeric Caron.