tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109609079602445946.post6215724903678769797..comments2024-02-28T17:52:45.946+00:00Comments on A Mid-East Journal: What is France up to in the Middle East?Neville Tellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374486593206478730noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109609079602445946.post-25748101237295084902016-05-25T12:03:17.028+01:002016-05-25T12:03:17.028+01:00France doesn't have to recognize Israel as a s...France doesn't have to recognize Israel as a state - it is one, established by the UN of which it is a full member. Israel's sovereignty is not in issue. What is in issue is the status of the territories overrun by Israel in the Six Day War, now claimed by the Palestinian Authority for part of a future sovereign state of Palestine. When the West Bank was captured by Israel in 1967, it had been unlawfully annexed by Jordan. Gaza at the time was under Egyptian control. Neither Arab state had made any move to create a Palestinian state during the time those areas were in their hands. Just one of the many anomalies surrounding this complex issue. Neville Tellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14374486593206478730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109609079602445946.post-2737652185079549732016-05-25T10:00:26.203+01:002016-05-25T10:00:26.203+01:00< France would formally recognize Palestine as ...< France would formally recognize Palestine as a sovereign state. As Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin < Netahyanu, was quick to point out, this intention immediately removes any incentive from the Palestinian side to negotiate at all. On the contrary, it provides them with an in-built excuse for ensuring the negotiations fail. ><br /><br />does this work both ways ?<br />Should France recognise Israel as a state ?<br />After all if France is going to recognise Israel and not recognise Palestine irrespective this Israel gets what it want without negotiations (given so many Israeli leaders eg Naftali Bennet amd Danny Danon reject Palestine's right to exist).<br />And then Israel might ensure negotiations fail by making unrealistic demands such as rejecting 78% of Palestine via the 67 borders, demanding Palestine be demilitarised, demanding Israel not only be recognised as a state but also as a Jewish state etc barneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10967628131676936764noreply@blogger.com