Hamas captivity survivor Agam Berger tells France’s Foreign Minister that “diplomatic solutions” are futile against Hamas, stating, “it’s us or them.”
Hamas captivity survivor Agam Berger met French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris and told him that “diplomatic solutions” to ending the war with Hamas will not work.
“They don’t want [to live] ‘together.’ All of these diplomatic solutions… it’s not going to work because it’s us or them,” Berger told Barrot in Hebrew during the meeting, according a clip shared by Kan 11 News.
“If it were possible not to choose war, we wouldn’t choose it. But the moment that there is a war for the existence of our country — that’s what we’re going to do,” she added.
Barrot wrote about the meeting in a French-language post on his X account, noting that he met “with the families of the hostages and Agam Berger,” who was “held in captivity for 473 days in inhumane conditions.”
“All hostages must be released. Now. Hamas must be disarmed and excluded from Gaza’s political future,” wrote the French Foreign Minister.
Barrot’s meeting with Berger and the families of the hostages comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Israel and France, including criticism by Barrot himself, who lashed out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and accused him of slander.
Barrot’s comments, made in a post on social media X, came after Netanyahu claimed that the leaders of France, the UK, and Canada are “on the wrong side of history,” for issuing a joint statement calling on Israel to end its war against Hamas in Gaza or risk sanctions.
“Everyone knows that France is unwaveringly committed to Israel’s security and has already demonstrated this through its actions,” Barrot wrote.
“By mobilizing its military resources when Israel was targeted by Iranian ballistic missile attacks. By firmly opposing Iran’s access to nuclear weapons,” he added.
“France is determined to combat antisemitism wherever it exists. It is determined to ensure that Hamas, a terrorist movement, is disarmed and permanently excluded from the political future in Gaza,” stated the French Foreign Minister.
“Accusing anyone who advocates the two-state solution of encouraging antisemitism or Hamas is absurd and slanderous,” he concluded.
Even before the joint statement with the UK and Canada, French President Emmanuel Macron had made several controversial statements related to Israel. He twice called for an arms embargo against Israel to stop the conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah, saying that “stopping the export of weapons” used by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon was the only way to end fighting there.
Two weeks ago, the French President lashed out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy regarding humanitarian aid to Gaza as shameful, adding that Europeans should consider increasing sanctions.
“What he’s doing is shameful,” the French President charged.
In response, Netanyahu’s office said, “Macron has once again chosen to stand with a murderous Islamist terrorist organization and echo its despicable propaganda, accusing Israel of blood libels.”
“Israel is engaged in a multi-front war for its very existence following the horrific massacre committed by Hamas against innocent people on October 7th, including the murder and kidnapping of dozens of French nationals.”
“Instead of supporting the Western democratic camp fighting the Islamist terrorist organizations and calling for the release of the hostages, Macron is once again demanding that Israel surrender and reward terrorism. Israel will not stop and will not surrender,” said Netanyahu’s statement.
