More than 100 former French and British diplomats urge Macron and Burnham to stop “erasing” Palestine

More than 100 former diplomats from France and Britain have called on the two governments to take action against what they describe as Israel’s attempt to “erase” Palestine.

The letter, addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, bears the signatures of 52 former French diplomats and 50 former British ambassadors. It accuses the Israeli government of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and calls for immediate steps to preserve the two-state solution.

According to the diplomats, quoted by The Guardian, Palestine is being “erased before the eyes of the world.” They propose suspending trade agreements with Israel, halting arms supplies and military cooperation, and ending trade and investment in Israeli settlements built in the Palestinian territories.

The signatories condemn Hamas’s attacks on October 7, 2023, but stress that they cannot be used to justify the destruction of Gaza and its population. They describe the situation in the enclave, settler violence, and the demolition of Palestinian homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as a deep humanitarian and political crisis.

Among their demands is unrestricted access for humanitarian aid to Gaza, including aid delivered through UN agencies. They also call for journalists, diplomats and parliamentarians to be granted access to the territory.

The former diplomats stress that France and Britain, after recognizing Palestine as a state in 2025, have an obligation to take concrete action to make that recognition effective and to protect the Palestinians’ right to self-determination. The letter also calls for reform of the Palestinian leadership, guarantees for a democratic and functioning state, and the holding of future elections with the aim of political renewal.