In the National Assembly, Stéphane Séjourné said France had refused to support the accusations of genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, brought by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

“To accuse the Jewish state of genocide is to cross a moral threshold. We cannot exploit the notion of genocide for political ends,’’ declared France’s new Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné.

He was speaking during during questions session to the government at the French National Assembly on Wednesday.

During the session, a MP from the extreme- left La France insoumise party asked Séjourné why France had refused to support the accusations of genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, brought by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague .

“To accuse the Jewish state of genocide is to cross a moral threshold. The notion of genocide cannot be exploited for political ends,” he replied. We say firmly to the Israelis: ‘Respect for the law is binding on all, the systematic strikes in Gaza must stop’, but words have a meaning.”

Séjourné, a former member of the European Parliament, was appointed foreign minister last week in the new government led by Gabriel Attal. He succeded Catherine Colonna.

The German government has also rejected the accusation of “genocide” levelled against Israel, seeing in it the risk of a “political instrumentalization” of the law and considering it to be “devoid of any foundation”.