Situation of Mr Salah Hammouri - Q&A (5 september 2022)

Q: The Israeli authorities have just extended by three months the administrative detention of the Franco-Palestinian lawyer Salah Hammouri, imprisoned since March. It is feared that this detention will continue until an Israeli court decides to permanently withdraw his residence card for Jerusalem, the city where he was born and has lived for 37 years! Clearly your demarches over the past few months haven’t borne fruit and have been ignored by the Israeli Government, even though President Macron said he talked to Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid about Salah Hammouri’s situation. Do you envisage summoning the Israeli Ambassador to France to ask her for explanations even though the file concerning Salah Hammouri is secret? Does President Macron intend doing everything in his power to secure the release of our compatriot, in liaison with the French Foreign Ministry? Finally, are you determined to begin exerting the necessary pressure, to envisage sanctions against Israel – which is what you normally do for other countries occupying another?

A: Mr Salah Hammouri’s situation is being and will continue to be closely monitored. President Macron discussed Mr Hammouri’s situation during his call with Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid on 22 August.

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs is fully mobilized with regards to Mr Hammouri’s situation and is making sure that it provides him with every possible assistance.

We have approached the Israeli authorities many times over the past few months – the Israeli Ambassador in Paris and the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Prime Minister’s Office and Presidency in Israel – to ask for all Mr Hammouri’s rights to be respected and for him to benefit from all rights of appeal.

We would like Salah Hammouri to be able to lead a normal life in Jerusalem, where he was born and where he lives, and for his wife and children to be allowed to go and see him again there.