'We want Hamas disarmed, out of governance,' French ambassador to Israel tells 'Post' - exclusive

“We are not supporting Hamas,” he said, following days of intense criticism from Israeli officials. “We are saying loud and clear: We want them out of governance, we want them disarmed, and we don’t want them to have any role in the future Palestinian state.”

“I very sincerely do not believe this war will end with anything positive resulting from what they did on October 7,” he added.

One of the most important developments in recent months has been a change in regional dynamics, he said, adding: “What I found most impressive, was the movement of many Muslim and Arab states – some traditionally critical of Israel – now clearly saying: There can be no Hamas in governance, and they are willing to participate in stabilization efforts in Gaza.”

Journès cited the recent French-Saudi initiative at the United Nations, which he said has not been adequately covered by Israeli media outlets.

“What we’ve achieved is a major diplomatic shift,” he said. “Arab countries are now saying that normalization with Israel is possible, but it must come with the elimination of Hamas from power.”

A future Palestinian state would need to be peaceful, responsible, and accountable both to its own people and to Israel, Journès said.

“It must be a demilitarized state that accepts Israel’s existence, rejects hate speech, and is led by people who renounce terrorism,” he said. “This will require reforms, free elections with vetted candidates, an end to the ‘pay for slay’ policy [financing terrorism], and international security mechanisms on the ground.”

Support from Arab countries for these ideas, voiced at the recent conference, “is not insignificant,” he added.

Journès said he envisions a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, accompanied by the deployment of international monitors and a significant increase in humanitarian aid to combat smuggling and war profiteering.

“We are offering the people of Israel a situation where they can reach a ceasefire, followed by the deployment of an international security mechanism in Gaza, which includes the release of all the hostages – and, I insist, all the hostages,” he said. “That means a future for Israel that does not involve sending hundreds of thousands of its young people to occupy Gaza for decades.”

“Israel is a place that never leaves your mind,” he added.

After serving in Israel for the past two years, experiencing air-raid sirens, attending funerals, and witnessing the trauma of the October 7 massacre firsthand, Journès does not speak as a distant observer.

“I’ve gone to the mamad [bomb shelter] 119 times since I arrived,” he said, referring to the protective rooms that have become a never-ending reality for Israelis. “All my friends have children or brothers involved in this war.”

This personal connection is what fuels France’s diplomatic effort to help build a new reality – the one that unites Arab and Muslim nations with Western powers to shape “the day after” in Gaza, Journès said.

“We are trying to propose an alternative to endless war,” he said.

Journès’s voice cracked as he spoke about the human cost of the conflict.

“The saddest moment for me was the funeral of Elia Toledano, whose brother I had flown with to Paris,” he said. “He was going to campaign for him in Brussels. I came back to Israel, and his brother was dead.”

That loss, along with the plight of the hostages, fuels a deep moral urgency, Journès said.

“For God’s sake, this is so important for the Jewish people – for the moral contract between Israel and the Jewish people – to bring back the hostages, to bring back the bodies, so that their families can say kaddish; can sit shiva [the mourning period],” he said.

Even though relations between Israel and France are currently strained, the disagreement does not mean hostility, Journès said.

“What I love about Israel is that you argue with your friends,” he said. “We don’t have smooth conversations, and that’s okay.”

“There is a cost to not taking a chance at peace, and it’s a very high cost – for the Israeli people, but also for us,” Journès said. “We cannot be so afraid of the situation that we allow Israel’s enemies to fuel a global wave of antisemitism with images of war.”

The alternative is to return to the trajectory Israel was on before the October 7 massacre – building a thriving, normalized, and peaceful future in the Middle East, he said.