A coalition of 102 former senior diplomats from the United Kingdom and France has issued a formal appeal for their respective governments to take decisive action to uphold international law within the Palestinian territories. In a letter published in Le Monde, the signatories—who include former British ambassadors to the UN Jeremy Greenstock and Emyr Jones Parry, alongside former French foreign ministry Middle East directors Yves Aubin de la Messuziere and Denis Bauchard—argued that Israel is actively working to destroy any possibility of a viable Palestinian state.
The diplomats emphasized that the involvement of France and the UK is essential, citing the historical roles both nations have played in the Middle East and their positions as permanent members of the UN Security Council. The letter explicitly accused Israel of demonstrating contempt for international law, the rulings of the International Court of Justice, and numerous UN Security Council resolutions. The signatories asserted that the world no longer views Israel as a genuine democracy, stating that there is nothing democratic about the deprivation of land and rights from others.
The letter highlighted the ongoing humanitarian crisis, noting that Israel’s war in Gaza, which began in 2023, has resulted in the deaths of over 73,400 Palestinians. Furthermore, the former officials condemned the intensification of illegal settler violence in the occupied West Bank. They characterized the combination of house demolitions and rampant settler violence—carried out with the connivance of the Israeli army and police—as amounting to ethnic cleansing in annexed east Jerusalem and the West Bank.
To avoid accusations of double standards, the diplomats argued that the UK and France must hold those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity to account. This call to action follows a joint statement issued by France and Britain earlier this week, in which they joined other nations to condemn new Israeli tenders for construction in the occupied West Bank.
