A group of 102 former French and British diplomats has called on their governments to impose sanctions on Israel, warning in an open letter that Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territories threaten to permanently eliminate the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state.
The letter, published Saturday in France's Le Monde, states that France and Britain "must act together to uphold international law in Palestine" and promote "equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians."
Signatories include former British ambassadors to the United Nations Jeremy Greenstock and Emyr Jones Parry, as well as former French Middle East directors Yves Aubin de la Messuziere and Denis Bauchard, who have decades of diplomatic experience in the region.
The letter describes the destruction of Palestinian homes and settler violence, carried out under the protection of Israeli military and police, as "ethnic cleansing," and argues that "the world no longer regards Israel as a true democracy."
Nicholas Hopton, a former British ambassador to Iran, Qatar, and Yemen and one of the signatories, emphasized that these terms were not invented by the diplomats but are drawn from international legal bodies and the United Nations, which observe from a neutral and expert standpoint.
The letter comes amid Israel's military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians since October 2023. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, despite a ceasefire in effect since October 2025, Israeli attacks have continued, killing at least 1,285 Palestinians since then.
For Hopton, a more immediate cause is Israel's accelerated expansion of settlements in the West Bank. He argues that the Israeli government is allowing settlements to be established in a way that makes a future Palestinian state nearly impossible to create there.
France and Britain recognized the state of Palestine in 2025, and the letter says this step should be "realized through urgent action." The signatories recall the historical responsibility of the two countries stemming from the British and French mandates over Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon after World War I, which shaped the region's modern borders.
The letter states: "Our two nations believe that those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity must be brought to justice. Only then can our governments reject accusations of double standards."
Proposed Measures
The letter outlines specific measures for France and Britain to undertake jointly, including suspending EU-Israel and UK-Israel trade agreements, halting arms transfers and military cooperation with Israel.
Additionally, it calls for banning trade with Israeli settlements, prohibiting citizens from purchasing real estate on occupied Palestinian land, ensuring humanitarian access to Gaza through UNRWA and UN agencies, and protecting access for journalists, diplomats, and parliamentarians.
"These actions, by imposing penalties for violations of the law, uphold the rule of law and demonstrate that there is an alternative to violence," the letter states.
The letter is not only directed at Israel but also urges Palestinian leadership, described as "unrepresentative and dysfunctional," to ensure that the internationally recognized state remains "democratic and law-abiding," viewing the elections scheduled for November as an opportunity for renewal.
For Hopton, the real challenge lies with governments willing to act rather than merely condemn, and he specifically mentioned the United States, which has the greatest influence over the Israeli government's actions. He warned that continued inaction "will create an irreconcilable problem in the long term, accumulating future violence and tragedy."
