Jerusalem – Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu cancelled a meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy scheduled for next week, reportedly amid anger at France for its position on the final status of Jerusalem.
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Additionally, sources in the Prime Minister’s Office said that Netanyahu wanted to distance his recent – and highly publicized – meeting with US President Barack Obama from his relations with European countries.
A PMO official confirmed that Netanyahu postponed his European trip because he believed preparations for the visit were incomplete.
But statements released by the French Foreign Ministry provided an alternative reason for the cancellation. Ministry spokesman Frederic Desagneaux said “The declaration which the Israeli prime minister issued yesterday derives from prejudice regarding the final status agreement,” referring to Netanyahu’s pledge on Jerusalem Day, last week, that Jerusalem would “never again be divided or partitioned.”
“In the eyes of France,” Desagneaux said, “Jerusalem needs to turn into a capital for two states,” emphasizing that French President Sarkozy made the same point last year.
“Activities like destroying Palestinian houses and expulsion of Arab citizens encourage violence,” the spokesperson said. “They are unacceptable, and against international law.”
During an official state ceremony marking Jerusalem Day on Thursday, Netanyahu had vowed that the capital would never again be divided. “Jerusalem was always ours and will always be ours. It will never again be partitioned and divided,” he said while marking the reunification of the city during the Six-Day War 42 years ago.
“Only under Israeli sovereignty will united Jerusalem ensure the freedom of religion and freedom of access for the three religions to the holy places,” Netanyahu added.
In an earlier address, President Shimon Peres said that Jerusalem, while sacred to others, is the only capital Israel and the Jewish people have ever known.
“Jerusalem is held sacred by half of mankind [but] it has been and always will be Israel’s capital. We never had another and it has never been the capital of any other people.”
GREAT NEWS!!! netanyahu… you rock!!!! no more bowing down keep your head high … the only problem will be Peres coming to undermine you as he allways does..
let france divide its capital and give half to the arabs.
The French position on the “final status” of Yerushalyim has been known for years and hasn’t changed under Sarkozy. They have always said there needs to be some form of “shared” control but never defined what that means in terms of whether there might be some symbolic Palestinian presence in East Jeruselam or a more substantive physical control over large areas. Its not clear what EY gains from cancelling the trip as if France had suddenly changed its position.
Stick to your guns Bibi. Jewish control over Jerusalem is a MUST. If it’s up to the Europeans today, there would be no Israel instead there’d be another holocaust .
I thing the good think having bibi now is that he could fix all his mistakes now
Con someone explain who the —- is France, to tell us what to do. And for that matter a lot of other countries – imagine we start telling them how best to run their country, we would be a perceived as a joke, yet the reverse seems the norm that every country seems to have a rhyme and a reason as how we should give away our homeland. Its not to be understood………. but then if course its Israel, and so it all makes sense.
WHere are you at Bibi?
I meanjust yesterdy you announce that 24 Jewish settlements shuld dismantle their places and leave, and then today you makea bigger splash by refusing to go to France? It is better to refuse France because of how slow that French government was to act against the killers of Ilan Halimi.
Anyway, Bibi has shown more strength since when he gave away land.
The French are under pressure in their own country,if they say anything positive about Israel there will be an Arab uprise in Paris and other cities.