PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   French President Emmanuel Macron is facing fresh criticism over his failure to back former U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign against Iran, as well as his push to include Lebanon in the ongoing ceasefire, ahead of landmark talks between Israel and Lebanon scheduled to start on Tuesday.

The landmark meeting, arranged by then-U.S. President Trump between Lebanon—once a French mandate—and Israel, will be held at the ambassadorial level, with hopes of reaching an agreement growing, most notably with no French participation. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to host the ambassadors of both countries.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel’s government asked for France to be excluded from the negotiations. An Israeli official told the outlet that “Over the last year, France’s actions—including efforts to restrict Israel’s capacity to engage Iran militarily and its total unwillingness to take tangible steps to assist Lebanon in disarming Hezbollah—have led Israel to see France as an unfair mediator.”

On Monday, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem called on the Lebanese government to cancel the Tuesday meeting in Washington, while labeling the talks as pointless. In a televised speech, Qassem stated that the armed group would continue to counter Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

Hezbollah broke a ceasefire to join the conflict on behalf of its sponsor Iran in March, when it fired rockets into Israel following the joint U.S.-Israeli strike on the Islamic Republic. Despite this, Macron has called on Israel to halt its attacks on Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure in Lebanon.

Retired Israeli Brigadier General Yosef Kuperwasser told Digital that Macron was “acting against the best interests of the Lebanese state and its government. This is an extremely problematic course of action.” He accused Macron of “aligning himself with Hezbollah and legitimizing the group, as he is focused on narrow self-interests.”

Kuperwasser, who previously served as the head of research for the Israel Defense Forces’ Military Intelligence Directorate, added that “The United States wants us to engage with Lebanon alongside its military. Our expectations are nearly identical. We want to see Lebanon take meaningful action against Hezbollah, not just issue statements and make promises. We believe we have assisted them by weakening Hezbollah militarily since the group chose to fire missiles on March 2. If a breakthrough is achieved, Lebanon stands to gain significantly,” but noted that Lebanon must disarm Hezbollah.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Digital.

Macron has faced allegations for years that he has legitimized Hezbollah. Unlike Germany, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Austria, and numerous other Western and non-Western nations, his administration refuses to label Hezbollah’s entire organization as a terrorist group. France has categorized Hezbollah’s “military wing” as a terrorist organization but has declined to ban its “political wing.” Hezbollah views itself as a single, unified movement with no separate branches.

François-Xavier Bellamy, a French politician and member of the European Parliament for the Republican Party, said during a French television broadcast last week that “France must cease legitimizing Hezbollah.” Per the Paris-based daily newspaper Le Figaro, Macron drew widespread criticism in 2020 after it was reported that he held a private meeting with a senior elected Hezbollah official.

Edy Cohen, an Israeli security specialist focused on Hezbollah who was born in Lebanon, told Digital that “France feels compelled not to speak out against Hezbollah in order to justify its presence in Lebanon.”

A French diplomat told The Times of Israel that “What we are hoping for is not a spot at the negotiating table, but for Israel to end its offensive operations in Lebanon.”

When asked if France would pressure Lebanon to recognize Israel as a sovereign state, Pascal Confavreux, a spokesperson for France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Sunday that “Iran must stop terrorizing Israel via Hezbollah, as Hezbollah deliberately dragged Lebanon into a conflict that is not Lebanon’s own… Lebanon must be included in the ceasefire, a goal we are advancing through diplomatic channels.” He added that France supports direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.

It is unclear whether France requested a place at the negotiating table. Digital has sent multiple press inquiries to France’s embassies in Washington, D.C., and Tel Aviv.

On Saturday, Macron once again advocated for a ceasefire, posting on X that he had held talks with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian: “I emphasized the need for full adherence to the ceasefire, including in Lebanon. France fully supports the actions of the Lebanese authorities, who are the sole legitimate body to exercise the nation’s sovereignty and determine Lebanon’s future.”

Walid Phares, a specialist on Lebanon and the broader Middle East, told Digital that while the negotiations are significant, issues remain. “This is being handled at the ambassadorial level, which means it is unlikely to reach the highest tiers of decision-making.”

He continued, “Oddly enough, Lebanon’s president and prime minister refused to invite the country’s foreign minister to the Washington talks, leading to Israel sending a representative also at the ambassadorial level— a sign that Hezbollah still holds significant sway over the Lebanese government. The militia is unpopular among the local population, and fears that a meeting in D.C. would further isolate Hezbollah.”

Sethrida Geagea, a member of parliament with the Lebanese Forces party, posted an open letter on X ahead of the Israel-Lebanon talks addressed to Nabih Berri— the powerful speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and leader of the Shia Amal Movement. She indirectly criticized Hezbollah and its armed terrorist force operating within Lebanon’s borders. Geagea urged Berri to unite the Lebanese people so that they are “protected by a single national army.”

Without naming Hezbollah directly, her letter noted that young Shia Muslims have been thrust into a war that has nothing to do with their own lives, and that the conflict is truly rooted in Iran’s decision to retaliate for the joint U.S.-Israeli strike that killed the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, on February 28.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a press inquiry from Digital.

Reuters provided additional reporting for this story.