In what can only be described as a breathtaking betrayal of both moral clarity and strategic principle, French President Emmanuel Macron has reportedly brokered a covert and troubling arrangement that casts a long shadow over France’s credibility in the Middle East—and its commitment to combating terrorism. Behind the scenes of diplomatic niceties and carefully staged photo-ops lies a deeply cynical pact: Macron, under the guise of rebuilding Lebanon, has allegedly struck a deal with Hezbollah that sacrifices the safety of Israel, the integrity of France, and the trust of 200,000 French citizens living in the Jewish state.

At the center of this alarming revelation is Rodolphe Saadé, the billionaire CEO of CMA CGM and a media magnate with extensive influence over French public discourse through control of BFM TV, RMC, and other platforms. Saadé, who maintains close personal and financial ties with the French president, is reported to have secured a lucrative reconstruction contract for the devastated port of Beirut—thanks to an understanding brokered with Hezbollah’s blessing. The organization, designated as a terrorist entity by the U.S., the EU, and even parts of the Arab world, retains considerable power in Lebanon, particularly through its control of key ministries, including the Ministry of Transport.

In the summer of 2020, as Lebanon reeled from the catastrophic port explosion that leveled swathes of Beirut, President Macron inserted himself prominently into the crisis. But behind the camera-ready moments of Macron walking through the rubble and embracing grieving citizens, a more insidious meeting reportedly took place: Macron is said to have met privately with a Hezbollah envoy, effectively legitimizing the group in return for facilitating French business interests in Lebanon.

This clandestine diplomacy represents more than just economic opportunism. It signals a political and ethical collapse. By cozying up to Hezbollah—a group with blood on its hands from Syria to Buenos Aires to the streets of Haifa—France has not only abandoned Israel, its democratic ally, but also its own stated commitments to counter-terrorism. The message is chillingly clear: in Macron’s France, profit trumps principle.

For Israel, the implications are staggering. France has historically played an ambivalent role in Middle Eastern diplomacy, often trying to balance its relationships with the Arab world and the Jewish state. But this episode marks a definitive lurch away from neutrality—and toward appeasement of terror. At a time when Hezbollah remains an existential threat to Israel, armed with an arsenal of over 150,000 Iranian-supplied rockets pointed at civilian centers, Macron’s backroom dealings come across not just as reckless, but treacherous.

And what of the 200,000 French citizens living in Israel—one of the largest French expatriate communities in the world? Are they to be used as pawns in Macron’s geopolitical chess game? Are their lives of so little value that their safety can be bartered away for construction contracts in Hezbollah-controlled Beirut? For a leader so fond of invoking the “values of the Republic,” Macron’s actions betray a craven disregard for the very people he is sworn to represent.

Even more disturbing is the broader web of Macron’s foreign entanglements. The French president has cultivated close ties with Qatar, another nation with a deeply problematic record. Doha’s well-documented financial backing of Islamist movements—including Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood—has raised alarm bells across Western intelligence agencies. Yet Macron continues to accept Qatari investments, including into France’s sports sector and infrastructure, with open arms and closed eyes.

This triangulation—between Macron, Saadé, Hezbollah, and Qatar—raises troubling questions about the erosion of France’s foreign policy independence and the infiltration of its democratic institutions by corrupt and malign actors. How can France claim to uphold the fight against extremism when its president is effectively underwriting it?

Perhaps most galling is Macron’s audacity to lecture Israel on restraint and morality, especially in the wake of October 7, when Israeli civilians were slaughtered by Hamas terrorists, themselves emboldened by years of international equivocation. That Macron, with Hezbollah’s fingerprints still fresh on his handshake, would presume to scold the Jewish state for defending itself is nothing short of obscene.

This is not diplomacy. It is duplicity.

France must reckon with the consequences of this betrayal. Its standing in the international community is at risk. Its credibility in the fight against terror is in tatters. And its president has allowed the moral compass of the nation to be warped by financial ambition and political expedience.

As for Emmanuel Macron, the time has come for accountability. No world leader can claim to champion human rights while cutting deals with groups whose entire identity is built on the destruction of others. France must decide whether it stands with democracy and the rule of law—or with those who torch it for profit.

In this shameful episode, President Macron has sold far more than a port contract. He has sold the soul of France.