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WORLD> Middle East
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France's Sarkozy seeks to pass test of Israel trip
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-06-22 13:35 TEL AVIV -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy flies to Israel on Sunday for a three-day visit aimed at reinforcing his image as an ally of the Jewish state and reversing a trend of difficult trips there by French leaders.
After taking office last year, Sarkozy announced a 'break' with the policies of his predecessor Jacques Chirac, seeking to mend ties with Washington damaged by the war in Iraq and proclaiming himself a "friend of Israel." His repeated statements of support for the Jewish state contrast sharply with those of previous presidents from Charles de Gaulle to Francois Mitterrand and Chirac, who were widely viewed as more pro-Arab in their stance. Sarkozy is due to arrive in Tel Aviv on Sunday afternoon and will address Israel's parliament, the Knesset, on Monday, the first French president to do so since Mitterrand in 1982. While he will want to improve his statesman's credentials at a time when he suffers from limp support at home, Sarkozy will also have to avoid alienating the many Arab leaders invited to the launch of his Mediterranean Union in Paris next month. Most states that line the Mediterranean Sea have said their leaders will attend the July 13 summit, but it is unclear if those of Algeria and Libya will, and Algiers says it wants to avoid a "creeping normalisation of relations with Israel." Any no-shows at the launch of Sarkozy's project to bring together a broad range of peoples would be an embarrassment. PAPARAZZI Sources familiar with preparations said Sarkozy's office would have liked Israel to postpone the visit until after the July 13 summit but Israel insisted that it go ahead as planned. |
