Speaking in a radio interview on Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner announced Paris remains adamantly against settlement activity, adding he fears that “Israel may no longer be genuinely interested in peace”. The senior French official made his remarks as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu makes his way from Washington to Paris for a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Kouchner stated his country remains opposed to any settlement construction, adding that while he does not expect an immediate breakthrough in negotiations between Israel and the PA, he is pained, explaining that “there used to be a formidable vocal left-wing that made its voice heard, expressing a true yearning for peace but it appears to me, and I hope I am entirely mistaken, that this desire has totally vanished, as if people no longer believe in it”.

Diplomatic relations between Jerusalem and Paris have been turbulent during recent months, and the foreign minister recently canceled a visit to Israel and PA autonomous areas, but announced that he does plan a visit in the immediate future.

Reports indicate two days after the meeting between Netanyahu and Sarkozy, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will be arriving to meet with Kouchner. French officials deny any connection, rejecting reports the meeting with the Syrian leader is part of a French effort to place Paris in a position to act as a negotiating go-between from Jerusalem to Damascus.

Kouchner canceled his visit when Prime Minister Netanyahu was unwilling to make an exception and permit him to enter Hamas-controlled Gaza via southern Israel, as YWN-Israel reported last month.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)