Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday, 4 Tammuz, met with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and told him at the start of their meeting:

“Mr. Foreign Minister, the history of the French and Jewish people is long and interconnected. It was the French Revolution that brought about the emancipation of French Jews, and it gained them full civic rights. And Jews began to participate in French life in all areas: In culture and literature, in economics, in politics. We were inspired in many ways by the principles of ‘Liberté, égalité, fraternité.’ Theodor Herzl and the founding fathers of Zionism drew much inspiration from the experience of France.

“France was also our closest ally in the formative years of the state. We will never forget the crucial support that was offered to us in times of need. And I believe today France also has a crucial role to play. We urge France to stand firm and prevent a bad deal that will pave Iran’s path to the bomb.

“The new US State Department report on Iranian involvement in terrorism is another wake-up call. Iran’s subversion and aggression is rampant, both in and beyond the Middle East .Its terror network now encompasses over 30 countries in many continents. And under the imminent nuclear agreement, Iran will not only receive a clear path to nuclear weapons, it will also receive many, many billions of dollars, enabling it to upgrade its terrorism worldwide and of course its aggression in the region.

“Mr. Minister, today in Jerusalem a Palestinian terrorist brutally stabbed a policeman. On Friday a Palestinian terrorist shot dead an Israeli citizen. Not only has the Palestinian Authority refused to condemn these acts of violence, it continues unabashedly with its campaign of incitement against Israel and Israel’s civilians. Official Palestinian propagation of violence and hatred are par for the course. It must be unequivocally condemned by all those who seek to advance peace.

“Six years ago at Bar-Ilan University I laid out my vision of peace based on two states for two peoples. In this vision, a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the Jewish state. And while I place no conditions on entering talks, I know that the twin foundations of peace are mutual recognition and security. Mutual recognition means that the Palestinians must finally recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. I find it frankly inconceivable that while the Palestinians expect us to recognize a Palestinian nation-state, they refuse to accord us the same privilege, recognizing a Jewish nation-state. And if they continue to refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the Jewish state, what kind of peace are they offering us?

“I think the other pillar, the need for security, is self-evident for anyone that follows developments in this region. The Middle East is undergoing a period of unprecedented volatility and violence. States that have existed for almost a century are disintegrating before our eyes. And Islamist extremists are rushing to fill up the vacuum. ISIS leads the Sunni radicals. Iran heads the Shiite militants. And Israel faces terrorist armies amassed on our borders in the North and in the South.

“A peace that isn’t anchored in iron-clad security arrangements on the ground, in which Israel can defend itself, such a peace will simply not survive and we will not agree to it. Our concerns are not pretexts or excuses. They are genuine. A peace deal that ignores these realities will be swept away by the winds of extremism and violence that blow throughout the Middle East.

“Mr. Foreign Minister, peace will only come from direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions. It will not come from UN resolutions that are sought to be imposed from the outside. President Abbas believes he can avoid such direct negotiations. He wants to avoid the give and take of negotiations. And why does he go that route? Because even though the Palestinians ran away from the negotiations again and again and again, it is Israel that is being blamed.

“Last year, the Palestinians slammed the door on Secretary Kerry’s framework for negotiations. They slammed the door on Prime Minister Barak. They slammed the door on Prime Minister Sharon. They slammed the door on Prime Minister Olmert. They slammed the door on me.

“They attempt to impose terms on Israel, but they will fail. And this attempt will not merely fail, it will drive peace away. First, Israel will resist the imposition of terms from the outside. And second, the Palestinians will never agree to negotiate if they think the international community will give them what they want without negotiations. I think there is no magic shortcut. Peace demands a commitment to direct negotiations without preconditions. Peace demands a sustained effort to overcome obstacles. I am ready for such an effort.”

The Prime Minister also said “We’ve been informed by the Government of Egypt that it is dispatching an ambassador to Israel. This is an important piece of news. We appreciate it. It’s something that has been, that is deeply welcomed in Israel and I think it’s very good for cementing the peace that exists between Egypt and Israel.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)