“What I found most impressive,” Frédéric Journès explained, “was the movement of many Muslim and Arab states – now clearly saying: There can be no Hamas in governance.”
After days of intense criticism from Israeli officials following French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state, French Ambassador to Israel Frédéric Journès told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that the move was not an act of appeasement towards terror, but rather quite the opposite.
“We are not supporting Hamas. We are saying loud and clear: we want them out of governance, we want them disarmed, and we don’t want them to have any role in the future Palestinian state,” the ambassador said. He added: “I very sincerely do not believe this war will end with anything positive resulting from what they did on October 7.”
When asked for his reaction to Hamas officials claiming that the recognition was a result of the October 7 massacre, Journès is unequivocal. In his view, “When Hamas praises progress on something, it usually means the opposite. We know they have always hated the two-state solution because they don’t want two states; they want to wipe Israel off the map. They’re just trying to derail what we’re doing.”
French Ambassador to Israel Frédéric Journès. (credit: FRENCH EMBASSY)
A Significant Shift Among Arab and Muslim States
According to Journès, one of the most important developments in recent months is a change in regional dynamics.
“What I found most impressive,” he explained, “was the movement of many Muslim and Arab states – some traditionally critical of Israel – now clearly saying: there can be no Hamas in governance, and they are willing to participate in stabilization efforts in Gaza.”
He pointed to the recent French-Saudi initiative at the United Nations, which he claims has not been adequately covered in Israeli media.
“What we’ve achieved is a major diplomatic shift – Arab countries are now saying that normalization with Israel is possible, but it must come with the elimination of Hamas from power.”
He highlights the declaration issued at the end of a high-level UN meeting on a two-state solution, noting that Arab countries supported a statement condemning the October 7 attack as terrorism and calling on other nations to recognize Israel.
“We believe the future must involve normalization with Israel, which means getting rid of Hamas, disarming it, and removing it from any role in the governance of a future Palestinian state.”
A New Model for a Palestinian State: Demilitarized and Accountable
Journès emphasized the need for a future Palestinian state to be peaceful, responsible, and accountable, both to its own people and to Israel.
“It must be a demilitarized state that accepts Israel’s existence, rejects hate speech, and is led by people who renounce terrorism,” he said. “This will require reforms, free elections with vetted candidates, an end to the ‘pay for slay’ policy (financing terrorists), and international security mechanisms on the ground.”
The ambassador noted that support from Arab countries for these ideas, voiced at the recent conference, “is not insignificant.”
He envisions a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, accompanied by the deployment of international monitors and a significant increase in humanitarian aid to combat smuggling and war profiteering.
“We are offering the people of Israel a situation where they can reach a ceasefire, followed by the deployment of an international security mechanism in Gaza, which includes the release of all the hostages, and I insist, all the hostages,” said Journès. “That means a future for Israel that does not involve sending hundreds of thousands of its young people to occupy Gaza for decades.”
There cannot be war forever
“Israel is a place that never leaves your mind,” Journès reflected early in the interview, after serving in Israel for the past two years.
Having experienced rocket sirens, attended Israeli funerals, and witnessed the trauma of October 7 firsthand, he doesn’t speak as a distant observer.
“I’ve gone to the mamad [bomb shelter] 119 times since I arrived,” he said, referencing the protective rooms that have become an everyday reality for Israelis. “All my friends have children or brothers involved in this war.”
This personal connection, he said, is what fuels France’s diplomatic effort to help build a new reality — one that unites Arab and Muslim nations with Western powers to shape “the day after” in Gaza.
“We are trying to propose an alternative to endless war,” he said.
Journès’ voice cracked as he spoke about the human cost of the conflict.
“The saddest moment for me,” he recalled, “was the funeral of Elia Toledano, whose brother I had flown with to Paris. He was going to campaign for him in Brussels. I came back to Israel, and his brother was dead.”
That loss, along with the plight of the hostages, fuels a deep moral urgency.
“For God’s sake, this is so important for the Jewish people – for the moral contract between Israel and the Jewish people – to bring back the hostages, to bring back the bodies, so that their families can say Kaddish, can sit shiva.”
Even though relations between Israel and France are currently strained, Journès stresses that disagreement does not mean hostility.
“What I love about Israel,” he said, “is that you argue with your friends. We don’t have smooth conversations – and that’s okay.”
“There is a cost to not taking a chance at peace,” he warned. “And it’s a very high cost – for the Israeli people, but also for us. We cannot be so afraid of the situation that we allow Israel’s enemies to fuel a global wave of antisemitism with images of war.”
The alternative, he believes, is to return to the trajectory Israel was on before October 7 – building a thriving, normalized, and peaceful future in the Middle East.
“We can go beyond the horrors of October 7,” he concluded. “We can’t sacrifice the well-being of the Israeli people, or the future of their children, just because we’re too afraid of the situation to work for lasting peace.”