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France’s Double Battle: Facing Islamist Threats at Home, Undermining Allies Abroad
French President Emmanuel Macron is seen at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. Photo: Reuters/Martial Trezzini
France’s recent crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood marks a long-overdue defense of Western liberalism. A leaked intelligence report exposing the Brotherhood’s covert penetration of French institutions reflects a serious governmental shift — one that rightly sees this Islamist movement not as a misunderstood religious organization, but as a subversive ideological force bent on eroding secular democratic norms from within.
For nations like the United States and Israel, this is a welcome change. Yet France’s simultaneous drift toward antagonizing Israel exposes a deep contradiction in its foreign policy — one that threatens both the coherence of Western alliances and the broader struggle against political Islamism.
The French report highlights how the Brotherhood operates through “entryism” — embedding within institutions like schools, local governments, and NGOs — to reshape society along Islamist lines. This is not religious practice; it is political infiltration, designed to weaken the secular state and replace it with one governed by Islamic law. France’s determination to confront this head-on deserves credit. But the fight against Islamism cannot be confined to domestic policy — it must also inform international posture, particularly toward those democracies on the front lines of this ideological conflict.
France’s increasingly hostile stance toward Israel is deeply problematic. Even as Israel defends itself against Hamas — a direct offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood — France has escalated its rhetoric, threatened sanctions, and backed premature recognition of a Palestinian state. This is not principled diplomacy; it is a strategic blunder. It undermines a key democratic ally battling the same forces France claims to resist, and it emboldens the very actors seeking to dismantle the Western order from within and without.
The context matters. In the wake of Hamas’ October 7 atrocities — an unprovoked terrorist onslaught targeting civilians — Israel launched a necessary and lawful campaign to dismantle the group’s military and political infrastructure in Gaza. Yet rather than standing unequivocally with a fellow democracy under siege, French President Emmanuel Macron responded by warning of punitive measures unless Israel altered its military approach. Such moral equivalence dangerously misconstrues the nature of the conflict. Hamas embeds itself in civilian areas precisely to manufacture these dilemmas. To pressure Israel instead of condemning Hamas’ tactics outright is to reward terrorism and punish self-defense.
Moreover, Macron’s push for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, co-sponsored with Saudi Arabia at the UN, sidelines the only sustainable path to peace: direct negotiations. Statehood cannot be imposed through diplomatic fiat. It must be earned through renunciation of violence, institutional reform, and mutual recognition. France’s proposal bypasses all of this, incentivizing Palestinian intransigence while further isolating Israel in multilateral forums.
This imbalance raises a troubling question: why does France, so quick to sound the alarm over Islamist subversion at home, tolerate and even empower radical Islam’s most virulent expressions abroad? If the Muslim Brotherhood poses a threat to the secular French Republic, how can its ideological twin — Hamas — be treated as a legitimate political actor or representative of Palestinian aspirations? The contradiction reveals a failure to apply France’s newfound clarity consistently.
This inconsistency also weakens the broader Western effort to counter political Islamism. Israel is not just another Middle Eastern actor — it is the region’s only liberal democracy, a frontline state confronting threats that extend far beyond its borders. As Brotherhood-inspired movements gain ground across Europe, from radicalized suburbs to university campuses, their international legitimacy is often buoyed by diplomatic gestures like those France now champions. The message is clear: ideological extremism may be denounced domestically, but rewarded diplomatically.
France’s position also threatens to erode its credibility among allies. Israel, already wary of rising antisemitism and radicalization in Europe, sees in these developments not just diplomatic friction, but strategic abandonment. The demonstrations sweeping across French and other European cities in support of Hamas, often laced with virulent anti-Israel and anti-Jewish rhetoric, are no accident. They are the domestic fallout of decades of permissive attitudes toward Islamist activism — precisely the kind of threat France now claims to be confronting. A principled stand abroad must match the urgency at home.
To be clear, confronting political Islamism must never come at the expense of individual rights or religious freedom. Discrimination against Muslims is unacceptable. But there is a profound difference between protecting believers and tolerating movements that seek to replace liberal democracy with theocracy. France, through its doctrine of laïcité, upholds one of the clearest boundaries between faith and state. That clarity must extend beyond the domestic sphere if it is to be meaningful.
If France is serious about safeguarding Western values, it must rethink its posture toward Israel. Constructive diplomacy — one that prioritizes the hostages’ release, Israeli security, and a negotiated end to conflict — must replace coercive measures and inflammatory declarations. Hamas, not Israel, is the obstacle to peace. Recognizing this is not only a moral imperative; it is a strategic necessity.
Amine Ayoub, a fellow at the Middle East Forum, is a policy analyst and writer based in Morocco. Follow him on X: @amineayoubx
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Israeli Cruise Ship Targeted Again as Pro-Palestinian Protests Escalate in Greece
Greek riot police clash with pro-Palestinian protesters near the port of Rhodes during a demonstration targeting an Israeli cruise ship. Photo: Screenshot
Pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with Greek riot police on Monday on the island of Rhodes as they attempted to block an Israeli cruise ship from docking at the island’s main port.
The MS Crown Iris — operated by Israeli cruise line Mano Maritime — was once again targeted by anti-Israel activists this week.
Demonstrations against the war in Gaza took place during the ship’s scheduled stop on the island, where more than 600 passengers were set to disembark.
According to videos circulating on social media, riot police can be seen confronting a group of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered near the dock, who shouted antisemitic slogans like “Freedom for Palestine.”
As authorities worked to control the crowd, tensions escalated and brief clashes broke out.
Ένταση στο λιμάνι της Ροδου με την άφιξη Ισραηλινών τουριστών, πολλες προσαγωγές.
Συνελήφθη υποψήφια βουλευτής της Πλεύσης ελευθερίας. pic.twitter.com/gAPnUnxu1A
— Ακροκεντρώος (@akrokentrwos_2) July 28, 2025
However, unlike a previous incident, passengers were able to disembark from the cruise ship without any major interruptions.
Last week, approximately 1,600 Israeli passengers expecting a peaceful stop on their cruise were unable to disembark from a ship docked on the island of Syros after a pro-Palestinian protest erupted at the port, raising safety concerns.
Around 300 protesters had gathered at the dock to protest against the war in Gaza, while Syros Port Authority police guarded the area and intervened to prevent violence until the ship departed.
Amid the large anti-Israel protest, the cruise company chose to divert the ship to Limassol, Cyprus.
In videos circulating on social media, protesters were seen waving Palestinian flags and holding banners with slogans such as “Stop the Genocide” and “No AC [Air Conditioning] in Hell,” while chanting antisemitic slogans.
Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitic incidents have surged to alarming levels across Europe. This recent incident appears to be just one of the latest in a wave of anti-Jewish hate crimes that Greece and other countries have witnessed in recent months.
Earlier this month in Athens, a group of pro-Palestinian activists vandalized an Israeli restaurant, shouting antisemitic slurs and spray-painting graffiti with slogans such as “No Zionist is safe here.”
The attackers also posted a sign on one of the restaurant’s windows that read, “All IDF soldiers are war criminals — we don’t want you here,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
Last month, an Israeli tourist was attacked by a group of pro-Palestinian activists after they overheard him using Google Maps in Hebrew while navigating through Athens.
When the attackers realized the victim was speaking Hebrew, they began physically assaulting him while shouting antisemitic slurs.
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Ritchie Torres Says Netanyahu Has Done ‘Irreparable’ Harm to Democratic Party Relationship With Israel
US Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) standing at the US Capitol in February of 2023. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), one of Israel’s most vocal supporters in Congress, delivered pointed criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, saying the longtime leader has “done harm” to Israel’s relationship with the Democratic Party and called for an end to the war in Gaza.
“If you’re a Democrat, and if you’re a Democrat of color and if you’re a Black Democrat, you take immense pride in Barack Obama. He represents one of the greatest achievements in politics. We take great pride in his presidency,” Torres said in an interview with . “To see a foreign leader visibly disrespect him in the manner that Bibi Netanyahu did, I feel did irreparable damage to the relationship with the Democratic Party.”
Torres offered a gloomy assessment of Netanyahu’s relationship with the Democratic party, arguing that “the damage may be irreparable.” He also cautioned that support for the Jewish state is rapidly “eroding” according to various polls.
Furthermore, Torres stated that despite his strident support for Israel, he does not “consider myself having a good relationship with the Israeli government.”
Torres said that Netanyahu “made a terrible mistake” in establishing a cozy relationship with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, arguing that the Israeli premier politicized the US-Israel relationship. The progressive lawmaker said that there is a “legitimate perception that the present Israeli government is just aligned with the Republican Party.”
The remarks represent a notable shift from Torres, a New York Democrat who has historically defended Israel amid bipartisan divisions over the war. While maintaining his commitment to Israel’s security, Torres said Netanyahu’s government has failed to articulate a clear endgame in Gaza and warned that the ongoing military campaign is undermining both humanitarian values and strategic interests.
“There’s a real need to end the war, secure the release of the hostages, bring humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in distress.”
Torres cited prominent Israeli journalists and media figures that have warned that Gaza has approached “catastrophic” levels of hunger and that famine might be looming without a rapid policy shift.
Torres’s comments come amid growing pressure from the Democratic base on centrist and progressive Democrats alike to take a firmer stance on Israel’s military operations, which have resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Israel launched its campaign following the October 7 Hamas attack that killed approximately 1,200 people and took over 200 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
Torres’s comments underscore a growing divide within the Democratic Party over the U.S.-Israel relationship. While the party remains broadly supportive of Israel’s right to defend itself, a significant faction ,including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) condemned the war in Gaza and called for a suspension of U.S. military aid to Israel.
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Israeli Defense Firm Lands Huge Deal With Germany
An Elbit Systems Ltd. Hermes 900 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is seen at Elbit’s drone factory in Rehovot, Israel, June 28, 2018. Photo: REUTERS/Orel Cohen
On Monday, Elbit Systems Ltd., a military contractor based in Israel, announced it had received a $260 million government contract from Germany to spend six years installing Directional Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) self-protection systems for defending Germany’s A400M aircraft fleet.
The contract is just the latest in a string of blockbuster deals between Israeli defense firms and international militaries. Israeli defense exports to Europe jumped to 54% of overall defense exports last year, up from just over 33% in 2023, according to the Israeli media outlet Globes.
Elbit’s defense system works to counter infrared-guided missiles, with a focus on mobile anti-aircraft weapons. It offers the ability to track missile threats as they happen and also provides automatic protection without needed human action.
Other countries which have deployed the system include Israel, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Brazil. In February, Morocco announced plans to purchase 36 Atmos 2000 self-propelled artillery systems from Elbit, making Israel the country’s third largest weapons supplier.
“This contract further strengthens Elbit Systems’ position as a leading global provider of DIRCM solutions,” Elbit president and CEO Bezhalel Machlis said. “Our systems are already trusted by numerous air forces and defense organizations around the world, and we are proud to support Germany in enhancing the protection of their strategic air assets. Our successful collaboration with Airbus DS on this important program is highly valued, and we are pleased that our advanced self-protection systems will contribute to the safety and operational readiness of the German A400M fleet.”
The announcement prompted Elbit’s share price to jump 1 percent on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE).
Since Israel’s 12-day war against Iran, Israel’s financial markets have been buoyed by significant foreign investment and renewed investor confidence. Over the past year, the TASE has repeatedly broken past its all-time highs, despite Israel’s multi-front wars.
On Friday, Germany announced that it would not join France in recognizing a Palestinian state. A government spokesperson said “Israel’s security is of paramount importance to the German government” and that “the German government therefore has no plans to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term.”
On Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the country had no plans to sanction Israel and that “for now, we want to await the foreign minister’s trip and the talks that will be held with the Israeli government in the coming days.”
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