Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Sunday 14 February 2016

David Singer: France Signals Surrender to PLO and Muslim Pressure

Courtesy: Jean Vercors
Here's the latest article by Sydney lawyer and international affairs analyst David Singer.

He writes:

France's extraordinary decision to try and resurrect the dead two-state solution smacks of:
 1. Abject surrender to PLO demands for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian State outside the parameters defined by Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, the Oslo Accords and the Bush Roadmap.
2. A desperate attempt to appease France's 4.7 million Muslims as they protest against the continuing state of emergency declared after the series of co-ordinated attacks by Islamic State in Paris last November that saw 130 people murdered and 368 wounded.
France made its intentions clear in the following statement released on 30 January by Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius:
"France will engage in the coming weeks in the preparation of an international conference bringing together the parties and their main partners, American, European, Arab, notably to preserve and make happen the two-state solution"
Mr Fabius issued this veiled threat on France 24:
“If this attempt to achieve a negotiated solution reaches a dead end, we will take responsibility and recognize the Palestinian state”
Respected commentator Aaron David Miller has already delivered his verdict on the proposed International conference in a scathing tweet:
"Another bone headed French play.Convene a peace conference doomed to fail; then recognize a faux Palestinian state"
In its Spring 2015 Global Attitudes Survey the Pew Research Centre found that 76 per cent of France's population had favourable views of France's Muslim population whilst 24 per cent had unfavourable views.

France no doubt hopes that calling this pro-Arab international conference will stem any growth in the anti-Muslim view in the next Pew Survey. Given the violent ongoing Muslim demonstrations such hope is doomed.

France's Muslim population far exceeds that of the 475,000 Jewish population, whose number has been dramatically declining following 851 antisemitic incidents recorded in 2014 and 806 attacks in 2015.

Jews leaving France for Israel have also doubled and then doubled again since 2010 - reaching 8,000 last year - up from 1,900 in 2011. Such is the Jewish exodus that French Prime Minister Manuel Valls was recently forced to acknowledge that French Jewry is in crisis and that France must work with:
“all its might to protect Jews”

France's planned international conference and threatened recognition of a Palestinian State will have the opposite effect - ensuring an ever increasing number of French Jews will be fleeing to safer havens.

Any unilateral French declaration recognising Palestinian Statehood will only exacerbate the continuation of the 100 years old Jewish-Arab conflict - not contribute to its resolution.

Such a declaration could represent a complete turnaround in France's stated foreign policy:
"France considers that the conflict can only be resolved by the creation of an independent, viable and democratic Palestinian State living in peace and security alongside Israel."
Given the current authoritarian and undemocratic division of rule between two organisations pledged to wipe Israel off the map - the PLO in Areas "A" and "B" in Judea and Samaria and Hamas in Gaza - France needs to ensure that any State of Palestine it recognises is indisputably democratic.

France is being politically naive to believe the failed negotiations conducted over 23 years between Israel and the PLO can be revived.

An international conference aimed at jumpstarting negotiations to resolve sovereignty in Judea and Samaria between Israel and Jordan - not Israel and the PLO - would have made far more sense.

However, the only winners from France's proposed conference will be the airlines, the 5-star hotels, 3-hat Michelin restaurants, vignerons and limousine car companies catering to the needs of the delegations flying in for a talkfest that will go nowhere.

Hopefully Islamic State will not spoil the politicians' party.

5 comments:

  1. Very reminiscent of France & Europe & Britain's caving in to Palestinian terrorism, and OPEC embargo threats, in the 1970s. They may never (probably won't ever) learn.

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  2. Israel must announce their own unilateral actions starting with the cut-off date of all shared infrastructure services given to the Arabs. Water, sewer, gas, electricity, phone and so forth most of which the Arabs don't pay for. Announce a day that they will all be switched off. European companies can I suppose move in to provide those services for them, again for free. Because that's how you account for the true cost of their support.

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    Replies
    1. Israel doesn't provide sewer or phone services. And the only reason Palestinians get electricity, water and gas from Israel is because Israel has destroyed Palestinian electricity plants, stolen Palestinian water reserves and prevents the Palestinians from importing gas on their own. Basically Israel has given the Palestinians no other choice. Furthermore Israel constantly cuts off electricity and water from the Palestinians. The Palestinians pay for everything although they have outstanding debts because Israel keeps withholding their money. Palestinians don't want anything from Israel, but Israel doesn't want them to not want anything from Israel.

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  3. France has been stabbing Israel in the back since 1967.
    The antisemitism of the Dreifuss trial never went away, and is now stronger than ever.
    John

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  4. CORRECTION:

    My figure of 4.75 million Muslims forming part of France’s population as mentioned in my article was taken from the Pew Survey – but that was the figure in 2010

    The following web site shows at 2014 the Muslim population of France was 6.13 million
    http://www.muslimpopulation.com/Europe/

    It has obviously grown substantially since then with the uncontrolled flood of Muslim immigrants into Europe in 2015.

    France is in even deeper trouble and its surrender to the PLO and Muslim pressure more transparently apparent as these latest figures indicate.

    Thank you to the person who drew this to my attention.

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