'I still love Israel': Outgoing French ambassador on war, Macron, and a broken alliance - interview

Outgoing French Ambassador Frédéric Journès stated he still "loves Israel to the bone" despite a significant downturn in Franco-Israeli relations during his nearly three-year posting. Journès, who arrived just before the October 7 Hamas attack, spent his tenure navigating war, hostage diplomacy, and regional tensions.

“

I came here because I loved your country. And I still love it to the bone.

Journès expressed deep regret that Israel did not seriously consider French President Emmanuel Macron's proposal for an international coalition against Hamas. He believes such a coalition, drawing parallels to the successful international effort against ISIS, would have provided military and diplomatic advantages, potentially altering the course of the warfare. "Israel wouldn't have been alone," he asserted, noting the formidable benefit in international reputation gained from multinational operations.

“

I regret deeply that we didn't take the time to consider that proposal. Israel wouldn't have been alone. Probably the warfare would have been different.

The ambassador bluntly described the current relationship between France and Israel as "super bad." While maintaining working ties with Israeli officials, he acknowledged the absence of structured political dialogue. Journès attributed this decline largely to Israel's international standing following the Gaza war, calling the "brutal and destructive warfare" a catastrophe for the country's reputation. "What they hated was the destruction, and Israel couldn't hear it," he said.

“

The relationship is not difficult. It's super bad.

Despite the political strains, Journès emphasized the need for Israel to actively rebuild trust and relationships. "You have to make friends again," he advised. He noted that while Israel may have lost the trust of many of its own people, it has also lost the consideration of a significant portion of world opinion. He suggested that regaining this trust requires concerted effort and a strategic approach to international relations.

“

The consequences of the war, the choice of a very brutal and destructive warfare, have been a catastrophe for the reputation of this country.