French Muslim Council Condemns Calls for Gaza’s Destruction on TV Channel

"In France, on a channel broadcast in our media landscape, declarations openly inciting ethnic cleansing and flagrant violations of the fundamental rights of the Palestinians have been made," denounces the CFCM in a press release. As an example, the remarks made by a member of the Israeli Likud on the i24news channel: "From October 7, I said what needs to be done, namely the physical destruction of the Gaza Strip, which is (today) about 70% the case, and there will be no other choice than the relocation of the population of Gaza elsewhere." According to the Muslim organization, "behind the euphemistic expression of ’relocation of the population’ lies a brutal reality: a project of ethnic cleansing."

The CFCM also points to the statements of the Franco-Israeli lawyer Nili Kupfer qualifying the Quai d’Orsay as "anti-Semitic" and supporting the displacement of 1.5 million Gazans. "Trump thinks of moving 1.5 million Gazans to Egypt, Jordan and other Arab countries. This is the only real solution to avoid recreating the conditions for a new October 7," she writes in a post published on X. In the eyes of the Muslim organization, "these statements are part of a rhetoric supporting the remarks of the extremist Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich, who himself stated: ’I am working with the Prime Minister and the cabinet to prepare an operational plan and ensure the realization of President Trump’s vision. (to relocate the Gazan population to other countries)’"

The CFCM also points to the survey published by i24news on the relocation of Gazans to Egypt and Jordan. "Do you support Donald Trump’s proposal to move Gazans to Egypt and Jordan?" the channel asks in a post on its X page. The Muslim organization denounces "an unworthy and provocative survey". "The absurd and provocative proposals, such as sending the Gazans to Indonesia or Malaysia, are only further proof of the desire to completely uproot a people already broken by decades of suffering. This project aims to erase their existence as a nation and to seize their land," adds the CFCM. The Muslim organization "firmly condemns these abject and inhuman remarks" and announces that it has alerted Arcom "to denounce these incitements to hatred broadcast on the French airwaves".

"However, it is incomprehensible that in France, calls for the deportation of civilian populations and insults towards our diplomacy can be broadcast with impunity, without contradiction or moderation," continues the CFCM, calling on the competent authorities, the media and the entire civil society "to react to this worrying drift." And to conclude: "History teaches us that silence in the face of the unacceptable is always guilty".