Benjamin Netanyahu, who had just met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, was welcomed by Richard Prasquier, President of CRIF. In his first comments, he insisted on “how good it is to be an Israeli in France” these days. His discussions with the President and several ministers have strengthened his conviction that France has become more favourable to Israel.
He said that in his opinion, two major leaders have just appeared, both of whom have enormous prestige: Nicolas Sarkozy in France and Barack Obama in the USA. They both have immense standing internationally and are both opposed to nuclear military power in Iran. Nicholas Sarkozy has shown his determination by stating repeatedly that he would not shake hands with the Iranian president.
Benjamin Netanyahu repeated that he had not changed his own position: Jerusalem, eternal capital of the state of Israel, will remain united; Israel will not go back to the 1967 borders because it needs defendable borders; not a single Palestinian refugee will be allowed into Israel. Lastly, as for relations with Syria, he said he did not feel involved with any of the concessions that had been mentioned here or there concerning the Golan.
Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with French national daily Le Figaro, said “We will continue to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority, and will add another chapter concerning economic peace. Rapid development is possible if we cooperate and remove obstacles to growth. Economic peace is not a substitute for political peace but it is a preliminary because the Palestinian Authority must be strengthened against Hamas.”
Benjamin Netanyahu insisted on going to the City Hall of Paris’s 16th District to thank the Mayor of the District for his work to try to free Gilad Shalit.
MP Claude Goasguen is president of the parliamentary group for relations between France and Israel. He successfully suggested to the Council of Paris that the young French-Israeli prisoner, held since 2006 in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian terrorist groups, should be made an honorary citizen of the city of Paris.
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