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Dozens of former senior French and British diplomats on Saturday urged their governments to work together to uphold international law in the Palestinian territories, accusing Israel of seeking to “destroy” any prospect of a viable Palestinian state.
The letter, published in Le Monde, was signed by 102 former diplomats, including former British ambassadors to the United Nations Jeremy Greenstock and Emyr Jones Parry, as well as former French Foreign Ministry Middle East directors Yves Aubin de la Messuziere and Denis Bauchard.
The signatories said the involvement of France and the U.K. was essential given the historic roles of the two powers in the Middle East and the fact that both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council recognized a Palestinian state in 2025.
“Our two nations believe that those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity must be held to account,” the letter said.
“Only then can our governments rebut the accusation of double standards. That is why they must act together to uphold international law in Palestine,” it added.
The letter accused Israel of seeking “to destroy any prospect of an independent Palestinian state, showing contempt for the law, the rulings of the International Court of Justice and countless U.N. Security Council resolutions.”
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas against Israel.
Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has surged since the Gaza war began, raising international concern over the conduct of Israeli troops and settlers.
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France and Britain this week joined other countries in issuing a statement condemning the Israeli government’s release of new tenders for construction in the occupied West Bank.
The former diplomats said house demolitions and “rampant settler violence, with the connivance of the Israeli army and police” in annexed East Jerusalem and the West Bank amounted to “ethnic cleansing.”
“The world no longer sees Israel as a genuine democracy, there is nothing democratic about depriving others of their rights and land,” the letter said.
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