A group of 102 former French and British diplomats has called on their governments to jointly impose sanctions on Israel, warning that its policies in the occupied Palestinian territory could permanently undermine the prospect of a Palestinian state.
In an open letter published on Saturday by French newspaper Le Monde, the diplomats said France and the United Kingdom “must act together to uphold international law in Palestine,” reports Al Jazeera.
They also urged both governments to push for “equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians”.
The 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 served in diplomatic posts across the region for decades.
“Palestinian house demolitions and rampant settler violence – with the connivance of the Israeli army and police – amount to ethnic cleansing,” the letter said. “The world no longer sees Israel as a genuine democracy,” it added.
Nicholas Hopton, a former UK ambassador to Iran, Qatar and Yemen and one of the signatories, said the diplomats had drawn the language from international legal and monitoring bodies.
“The words are not our own,” he told Al Jazeera. “They are taken from the international legal bodies, the UN, those who have been observing from a neutral position and with expertise.”
The appeal comes amid Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians since October 2023. Although a ceasefire took effect in October 2025, Israeli attacks have continued, killing at least 1,285 Palestinians since then, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
Action, not words
Hopton said Israel’s renewed efforts to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank provided the immediate impetus for the letter.
“There is a move by the Israeli government to allow settlements to be created in the West Bank in a way that would almost realistically prevent a future Palestinian state being able to be created there,” he said.
Peter Millett, a former British ambassador to Libya and another signatory, said the diplomats were demanding concrete steps rather than further statements.
“What we’re asking for is action, not words,” he said.
“Our ministers over the last few months and years have issued statements of criticism, of condemnation and so forth, but as the letter makes clear, this is the time now where we need to see action on trade, action on settlements, more support for aid to go into Gaza, and the ending of the arms trade.”
France and the UK recognised a Palestinian state in 2025. The letter said that decision now needed to be “made real by urgent action”.
The former diplomats also linked their countries’ responsibilities to the mandates Britain and France held over Palestine, Syria and Lebanon after World War I, which helped shape the region’s modern borders.
“Our two nations believe that those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity must be held to account,” the letter states. “Only then can our governments rebut the accusation of double standards.”
The proposed measures include jointly suspending EU-Israel and UK-Israel trade agreements, stopping arms transfers and military cooperation with Israel, and banning trade with Israeli settlements.
The diplomats also called for a ban on citizens purchasing property on occupied Palestinian land and demanded guaranteed humanitarian access to Gaza through UNRWA and other UN agencies, along with protected access for journalists, diplomats and parliamentarians.
“These actions, imposing penalties for law-breaking, safeguard the rule of law and show that there is an alternative to violence,” the letter states.
We cannot stand by
Millett said he also wanted his government to take further measures, including publicly supporting the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and directly confronting Israeli settler violence.
“What they’re trying to do is force these Palestinians to cross the River Jordan into Jordan itself,” he said, describing Jordan as a longstanding Western ally.
“We cannot stand by and see this continually happen in Israel, which is explicitly saying it will never accept a two-state solution,” he said.
Asked whether he believed Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was listening, Millett expressed doubt but said economic pressure could still have an impact.
“Action on trade, if it affects the prosperity of Israel, then maybe that’s a step that would actually have some repercussions in Israel itself.”
The letter also addressed Palestinian leadership, describing it as “unrepresentative and dysfunctional”. It urged Palestinian leaders to ensure the internationally recognised state remains “democratic and law-abiding”, saying elections scheduled for November could provide an opportunity for renewal.
Hopton said the key test would be whether governments were prepared to take action rather than simply issue condemnations. He identified the United States as the most influential actor in this regard.
“The United States … has the most influence over the actions of the Israeli government,” he told Al Jazeera, warning that continued inaction “will create a longer-term, irreconcilable problem and store up future violence and future tragedies”.
