On Monday, 6th February, President Nicolas Sarkozy received the directors of JCall (Gérard Unger, President, David Chemla, European General Secretary, Alain Rozenkier, board member), accompanied by Alain Finkielkraut, JCall’s signatory, at the Élysée Palace.
They expressed their disapproval of the settlement policy of the Israeli government in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and also of maintaining the status quo in Israeli-Palestinian relations. At the same time, they reaffirmed their unwavering support for the State of Israel.
The French president in turn reiterated his own continuing support for the State of Israel, whose creation was a significant and defining act in the history of the Twentieth Century, and whose existence was non-negotiable. He advocated the existence of two nation states : the State of Israel for the Jewish people, who had the right to a state in which the rights of non-Jewish Israelis were respected ; and a State of Palestine for the Palestinian people.
President Sarkozy declared himself opposed to any negotiations between France and Hamas as an organisation whilst it did not recognize the State of Israel. He indicated that he shared the point-of-view expressed by the representatives of JCall concerning the settlements, suggesting at the same it was a mistake to demand their construction be stopped before negotations are resumed.
The President stated the situation in Iran was “of capital importance”, and that Teheran should not possess nuclear weapons. He stressed the major commitment of France to this issue, as well as the many initiatives of the French diplomatic service to increase sanctions in order to avoid military intervention, which would have serious repercussions.
Consequently, the delegation from JCall noted with satisfaction a complete convergence of views with the French president on all these matters.
