The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy told Israel today to share sovereignty over Jerusalem with the Palestinians and to stop building settlements in the occupied territories.
In an address to the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, Sarkozy also promised France's support in helping to halt Iran's nuclear programme and he praised Israel's democracy, comments for which he won applause.
However, he also spoke strongly about what he expected of Israel as part of the peace process with the Palestinians. "There cannot be peace without an immediate and complete halt to settlement," he said. "There cannot be peace without recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of two states and the guarantee of free access to the holy places for all religions."
Although his comments do not mark a change in French policy towards the Middle East, they were nonetheless unusually frank for a Knesset address and went a long way further than a similar speech at the Israeli parliament last month by the US president, George Bush.
No surprise, really. Since Olmert is eager to divide Jerusalem, what 'friend' of Jerusalem to going to say anything different.
Technorati Tag: Israel and Sarkozy.
Sarkozy's been quite the busy bee lately, Mediterranean Union, getting France to rejoin NATO, offering himself as a peace broker. Wonder how he's getting along w/raised-in-France U.S. Middle East Envoy Gen. James Jones who will be returning to the region. Interesting.
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