Former Diplomats Demand UK France Action

Published: 22 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

More than 100 former British and French diplomats have called on the governments of the United Kingdom and France to take urgent measures against Israel, warning that the prospects for an independent Palestinian state are being systematically destroyed.

In an unprecedented joint letter addressed to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron, 52 former French diplomats and 50 former British ambassadors accused Israel of pursuing policies they described as ethnic cleansing and the destruction of Palestinian territory. They urged London and Paris to move beyond diplomatic statements and introduce economic, military and legal measures designed to pressure Israel into accepting a viable Palestinian state.

The signatories include senior former diplomats who served in some of the Middle East’s most important diplomatic posts. Among the British signatories are former ambassadors to the United Nations Jeremy Greenstock and Emyr Jones Parry, as well as Edward Chaplin, a former Foreign Office director responsible for the Middle East. French signatories include Patrice Paoli, a former Middle East director at the French foreign ministry, and Stanislas de Laboulaye, who previously served as France’s consul general in Jerusalem.

The former diplomats argue that Britain and France carry a particular responsibility because of their historic involvement in shaping the modern Middle East. Both countries also recognised Palestine as a state in 2025, a decision that the signatories say now needs to be accompanied by practical measures to protect Palestinian self-determination.

The letter comes amid renewed international concern over Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Britain, France and nine other countries recently condemned the publication of construction tenders for the E1 settlement project, warning that the proposed development could undermine the prospects of a two-state solution.

The E1 project involves plans for around 1,200 homes in an area that would effectively divide parts of the West Bank. Critics argue that construction in the area could make the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state increasingly difficult.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has described the settlement plans as a serious threat to the viability of a two-state solution. The British government has also summoned Israel’s senior diplomatic representative in the UK over the issue.

Israel has rejected the criticism and defended the rights of Jewish Israelis to live throughout the country. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has said Israel would not remain passive in response to international pressure.

The former diplomats now want Britain and France to move further by imposing specific consequences. Their proposed measures include suspending trade agreements, restricting arms transfers, ending certain forms of military cooperation and banning commercial activity connected to Israeli settlements.

They argue that diplomatic condemnation alone has failed to prevent the expansion of settlements or the deterioration of conditions for Palestinians. According to the signatories, stronger economic and political pressure is necessary if the international community is serious about preserving the possibility of a negotiated two-state settlement.

The former diplomats also called for Britain and France to support unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza. They said aid should be delivered through United Nations agencies and international humanitarian organisations and that journalists, diplomats and parliamentarians should be permitted access to the territory.

The letter’s authors describe the humanitarian situation in Gaza as catastrophic. They claim that around two million Palestinians have been confined to a heavily damaged part of the territory, with shortages of food, medicine and housing continuing despite the existence of a ceasefire.

They also highlighted developments in East Jerusalem and the wider West Bank, where they said house demolitions and settler violence were contributing to the displacement of Palestinians. The signatories characterised these developments as ethnic cleansing and warned that the continued expansion of settlements could permanently undermine the possibility of Palestinian statehood.

The diplomats also extended their criticism beyond Gaza and the West Bank, arguing that Israeli military actions and destruction in parts of Lebanon and Syria were contributing to a wider regional crisis.

At the same time, the former officials acknowledged the attacks carried out by Hamas on 7 October 2023, describing the group’s actions as heinous crimes. However, they argued that those attacks could not justify the scale of destruction and suffering experienced by Palestinians.

They also criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s emphasis on military strength and security, arguing that a policy centred on force could ultimately make Israel less secure by reducing the prospects for negotiations.

The letter reflects growing disagreement among Western diplomats over how governments should respond to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While Britain and France continue to emphasise Israel’s security alongside Palestinian rights, some former officials believe the situation now requires governments to use economic and diplomatic leverage more aggressively.

One of the most significant demands concerns the existing trade relationships between Israel and Europe. The former diplomats want the European Union-Israel association agreement suspended over alleged breaches of human rights obligations. They also want the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement suspended on similar grounds.

The signatories further called for the suspension of arms transfers to and from Israel and an end to bilateral military cooperation. Such measures would represent a substantial escalation from diplomatic criticism and could place additional pressure on the British and French governments to define the consequences of Israeli policies.

Another major proposal involves trade with Israeli settlements. The former diplomats want Britain and France to prohibit commercial activity connected with settlements, including the sale of goods, investment, insurance and financial services.

They specifically highlighted the proposed E1 settlement project. The diplomats want potential companies and investors to be warned that involvement in settlement construction or financing could expose their commercial interests in Britain and France to legal or financial consequences.

They also called for British and French citizens to be prevented from purchasing property on what the signatories describe as Palestinian land taken through settlement activity. In addition, they proposed removing charitable status from organisations that financially support settlements.

The letter does not place all responsibility for the conflict on Israel. The former diplomats also argued that Palestinian political institutions need substantial reform. They said Palestinians must ensure that their future state is democratic, accountable and committed to international law.

The signatories called for Gaza and the West Bank to be politically, administratively and economically reunited. They also criticised the current Palestinian political leadership as unrepresentative and dysfunctional and said upcoming Palestinian elections should provide an opportunity for democratic renewal.

Their central argument, however, is that Palestinian reform cannot succeed if Israel continues policies that prevent the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

The appeal comes at a politically sensitive moment for both Britain and France. Their governments have attempted to balance relations with Israel, concern for Israeli security and growing public pressure over the humanitarian situation affecting Palestinians.

Diplomatic efforts over the future of Gaza have also become increasingly complicated. Negotiations involving the United States have attempted to establish a broader framework for ending the conflict and determining the territory’s future. Israel has rejected the latest US-led peace proposal, while several Muslim-majority countries have criticised Israeli actions as damaging to wider efforts to achieve a lasting settlement.

The political situation in Israel is another factor. Israeli politics are moving towards elections scheduled for October, and some diplomats have privately debated whether Netanyahu’s military and political decisions are partly influenced by domestic electoral considerations.

The former diplomats’ intervention is therefore intended to increase pressure on Western governments at a moment when the international debate over Israel and Palestine is becoming increasingly polarised.

Their letter represents the views of former officials rather than current British or French government policy. Nevertheless, the breadth of the signatories reflects growing concern among experienced diplomats who have spent much of their careers dealing with the Middle East.

The Israeli embassy in London was contacted for a response to the allegations and demands contained in the letter.

For Britain and France, the challenge will be determining whether stronger measures can influence Israeli policy without closing channels of diplomacy or damaging their ability to engage with Israel on regional security issues.

The former diplomats believe the cost of inaction could be far greater. They argue that if settlement expansion, displacement and the destruction of Palestinian infrastructure continue unchecked, the possibility of a negotiated two-state solution could disappear altogether.

Their intervention therefore places renewed focus on whether international recognition of Palestine can be translated into meaningful political action. For the signatories, recognition alone is no longer sufficient. They want Britain and France to use their economic, diplomatic and political influence to protect the possibility of Palestinian self-determination before it becomes impossible to achieve.