French President Emmanuel Macron will visit an air base in Jordan on December 21 and 22 for the traditional Christmas with French forces deployed abroad, the Elysée Palace announced on Friday.
“As the end-of-year festivities approach, the Head of State wished to offer a dinner, prepared by the head of the kitchens of the Presidency of the Republic, to the 350 soldiers engaged from this base in the fight against terrorism,” the presidency said.
Macron has been criticized in the Middle East for supporting Israeli genocide in Gaza. Ten French ambassadors collectively drafted and signed a memorandum, expressing disappointment over the shift in the President’s position towards Israel in its ongoing conflict with Hamas.
Le Figaro described this memorandum from the French diplomats, who are critical of Macron’s policy towards the Gaza war, as a form of diplomatic rebellion.
They noted that Macron’s bias towards Israel represents a break from Paris’ traditionally balanced position regarding the Israelis and Palestinians.
A diplomat in Paris, who had access to the memorandum, revealed that it was directed to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is expected to escalate it to the Élysée Palace.
A French diplomat familiar with the document commented, “This is no joke. In the memorandum, which is not an opposition statement, the ambassadors emphasize that our pro-Israel stance at the onset of the crisis is currently misunderstood in the Middle East. It contradicts our traditionally balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
