102 ex-diplomats urge France, UK to sanction Israel over Palestine
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A coalition of 102 former French and British diplomats has called on their governments to jointly sanction Israel, warning that Israeli policy in occupied Palestinian territory threatens to erase the possibility of a Palestinian state. The open letter, published Saturday in Le Monde, urges a ban on arms transfers and a freeze on EU-Israel and UK-Israel trade agreements. The appeal comes as Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least 1,285 Palestinians since an October 2025 ceasefire.
Key Facts
- The letter demands a ban on arms transfers and a freeze on EU-Israel and UK-Israel trade agreements.
- Signatories include former British ambassadors to the UN Jeremy Greenstock and Emyr Jones Parry, and former French Middle East directors Yves Aubin de la Messuziere and Denis Bauchard.
- The letter states that Palestinian house demolitions and settler violence with Israeli army and police connivance amount to ethnic cleansing.
- Israel's war on Gaza has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians since October 2023, with at least 1,285 killed since the October 2025 ceasefire.
- France and the UK recognised a Palestinian state in 2025, a step the letter argues must be made real by urgent action.
The Open Letter
The letter, published Saturday by French outlet Le Monde, urges France and the United Kingdom to act together to uphold international law in Palestine. It calls on the two governments to push for equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians. The signatories argue that Israeli policy in occupied Palestinian territory threatens to permanently erase the possibility of a Palestinian state. The letter states that the world no longer sees Israel as a genuine democracy.
Diplomatic Signatories
The 102 signatories include former British ambassadors to the United Nations Jeremy Greenstock and Emyr Jones Parry. Former French Middle East directors Yves Aubin de la Messuziere and Denis Bauchard also signed the letter. Nicholas Hopton, a former UK ambassador to Iran, Qatar and Yemen, said the language used in the letter was not invented by the diplomats themselves. Hopton said the words are taken from international legal bodies and the UN, those who have been observing from a neutral position and with expertise.
Context and Justification
The letter arrives against the backdrop of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians since October 2023. Despite a ceasefire that took effect in October 2025, Israeli attacks have continued, killing at least 1,285 Palestinians since, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. For Hopton, the more immediate trigger was Israel's renewed push to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank. France and the UK recognised a Palestinian state in 2025, a step the letter argues now needs to be made real by urgent action. The signatories trace their countries' responsibility back to the mandates the UK and France held over Palestine, Syria and Lebanon after World War I.
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102 ex-diplomats urge France, UK to sanction Israel over Palestine
