On the occasion of the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot to Montpellier on Friday, April 17, several dozen people gathered in the Place de la Comédie at the call of the MRAP and the Association France Palestine Solidarité 34. The mobilization aimed to express criticism of French diplomatic policy. “We wanted to show our disagreement with France’s foreign policy,” explained Béatrice Rougy, a member of the MRAP. While Jean-Noël Barrot was at the House of International Relations, his chief of staff met with the activists for an exchange of about thirty minutes. The protesters appreciated the fact that a representative of the minister came to meet with them, but the responses given raised some concerns. “We can’t say we are very satisfied,” said Béatrice Rougy. Among the issues discussed, the question of arms exports to Israel drew criticism. “They started by denying, then said it was not weapons but components, and then that they were only defensive weapons.” A distinction deemed unclear by the participants.
Context: The article discusses a protest in Montpellier where people gathered to criticize French diplomatic policy towards Israel. Fact Check: Jean-Noël Barrot is not the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France. The protests were actually in relation to France’s diplomatic relations with Israel.
Palestine but also Lebanon and Iran
Regarding economic sanctions, the response focused on labeling products from the settlements, a measure that the associations consider inadequate, mentioning the continued marketing of certain products and circumvention practices. Other subjects remained without a precise response, including the implementation of the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 18, 2024, and the observance of ceasefires in Lebanon, Iran, and Palestine, according to the protesters. Regarding the association agreements with Israel, the chief of staff referred the decision to the European level. The discussions also touched on the French positions regarding the UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, praised for her work while being criticized for certain statements, without providing details.
Despite these disagreements, the organizers appreciate the principle of the meeting. “What is good is that they came to see us,” emphasized Béatrice Rougy, indicating that the requests expressed must be conveyed to the minister.
