“The Franco-Saudi initiative, along with the New York Declaration endorsed by 142 states, created decisive momentum and paved the way for the peace plan signed today.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stand with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before attending a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025. Yoan Valat/Reuters
“The Franco-Saudi initiative, along with the New York Declaration endorsed by 142 states, created decisive momentum and paved the way for the peace plan signed today.”
That’s what French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot boldly declared on Monday—beaming like a man who just accepted an Oscar for a film he didn’t act in.
The only problem?
France didn’t have a speaking role.
The peace plan for Gaza was initiated, brokered, and led entirely by Donald Trump, and formalized during the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The French presence? Symbolic at best. Decorative at worst.
Unsurprisingly, Donald Trump didn’t let the comment slide. According to aides, he quipped:
“Macron? I thought he was an influencer, not a negotiator.”
Ouch.
This isn’t a new habit. France has a long tradition of inserting itself into global history with theatrical flair—often after the final act. When the camera’s rolling, the French delegation somehow finds its way into the frame, usually right in time for the credits.
But as the world moves forward, it becomes harder to pretend that Paris is still calling the shots. Because in this case, it wasn’t even holding the phone.
Reality Check
While Trump, Egypt, and regional stakeholders hammered out a deal, France was… issuing statements. Now, it’s retroactively claiming ownership of a plan it didn’t write, in a room it wasn’t leading, at a summit where it was barely noticed.
Diplomacy is often about subtlety.
This wasn’t subtle. This was delusional.
Hamas freed the last living Israeli hostages from Gaza on Monday under a ceasefire deal and Israel sent home busloads of Palestinian detainees, as U.S. President Donald Trump declared the end of the two-year long war that has upended the broader Middle East.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday questioned whether former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair would serve on a new "Board of Peace" that is intended to oversee the governance of Gaza, amid ongoing criticisms of Blair for his role in the Iraq War.
When a U.S. president of Donald Trump’s stature sets his sights on the Middle East, the global stage shifts. Monday’s summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Trump himself, is not merely a ceremonial close to the latest round of bloodshed in Gaza.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.
