Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticizes the French government and warns of hypocrisy regarding the conflict in Gaza.

247 - French MP Jean-Luc Mélenchon on Friday accused his country's government of acting cowardly and hypocritically in the face of the crisis in Gaza. "The cowards in the French government are making France look bad. Our people remain in prison. MPs are ignored by their assemblies. Let us all remember this. The values ​​and grand pronouncements of the moralists who govern us are hypocritical stances," Mélenchon stated in a public declaration.

According to him, the left also fails to address Israeli violence: “Many are silent. Glucksmann claims to be able to recognize a dictatorship. But apparently not a genocide, not even a war crime, not even a massacre, not even a kidnapping. For some, when it comes to Netanyahu, the great principles are quickly forgotten.”

Mélenchon's criticism comes amid growing international tension caused by the Israeli interception of the humanitarian flotilla. Global SumudThe Israeli action resulted in the detention of activists from several countries, including four Portuguese, 11 Brazilians, and 10 French citizens, as well as citizens of Spain, Turkey, the United States, and Germany. Israeli law stipulates that those detained can be deported within 72 hours or accept voluntary expulsion.

The incident generated global repercussions, with protests in European cities. In Portugal, pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered at the Lisbon Design Museum and in front of the Israeli embassy, ​​while in Porto more than a thousand people protested against the detention of the activists. In Italy, a general strike called by unions affected transport in Milan and other major cities, causing delays and congestion. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini warned that "today, a million Italians will be stuck in train stations."

The broader context of the conflict is the ground offensive launched by Israel on September 16 against Gaza, justified by the country as an action to eliminate the last stronghold of Hamas, responsible for attacks that killed approximately 1.200 people in Israel in 2023. Since then, more than one million Palestinians have been displaced and the death toll has surpassed 66, including women and children, according to Hamas data.

Mélenchon, who has been critical of French foreign policy, uses the episode to question the consistency and values ​​of European politicians and leaders in the face of a humanitarian crisis and serious human rights violations.