Israel – Meeting between Catherine Colonna and her Israeli counterpart during his visit to Paris (19 July 2023)

The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, hosted a meeting with the Foreign Minister of the State of Israel, Eli Cohen, on 19 July 2023.

The Minister reiterated France’s steadfast commitment to the security of Israel, a friend, and its desire to further strengthen the relationship between our two countries.

The ministers discussed Iran, whose nuclear escalation and continued destabilizing activities in the region are a major source of concern. The Minister repeated that we are awaiting gestures of de-escalation and Iran’s full and complete cooperation with the IAEA.

The two ministers also spoke about the importance of bolstering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s war of aggression, at not only the humanitarian but also the political and security levels.

The Minister emphasized her concern over the aggravation of tensions in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. She recalled our strong condemnation of the terrorist acts that have hit Israel, and all attacks on civilians. She reiterated the importance for Israel of ending all unilateral measures likely to fuel tensions, and stressed the need to end the policy of settlement activity, which is illegal under international law and undermines the prospects of peace. The Minister repeated her conviction that work must be done on restoring a political horizon on the basis of the only viable solution, that of two States living side by side in peace and security. She emphasized France’s willingness to contribute to this.