The PA Chairman was welcomed as ‘’President of the State of Palestine’’ by the French President.
According to the Elysée Palace, Tuesday’s meeting ”follows on from France’s recognition of the Palestinian State and the work undertaken to implement a peace and security plan for all in the Middle East.”
The Israeli Embassy in France has strongly denounced the visit by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Paris where he was welcomed as ‘’President of the State of Palestine’’ on Tuesday by French President Macron.
In a statement, the embassy accuses the Palestinian leader of “once again manipulating France” while receiving a “triumphal” welcome at the Élysée Palace.
The embassy points out that Mahmoud Abbas, whose popularity “does not exceed 15%,” has been at the head of the Palestinian Authority for two decades. It considers this official visit in Paris to be “a new attempt to seduce French public opinion without any real political commitment.”
The embassy also criticizes the Palestinian Authority for having, in the past, “rejected all peace proposals” presented by Israel and the United States. The statement also points out that the reforms promised after the recognition of a Palestinian state by several European countries, including France, “have never been implemented.”
The document highlights corruption within the Palestinian Authority and the controversial system of paying salaries to prisoners convicted of attacks against Israelis. The embassy claims that these funds, which come in part from international aid, “are used to finance the luxurious lifestyles of Palestinian leaders” and to “pay terrorists” under the “pay for slay” scheme.
The embassy also criticized France’s policy in the Middle East.’’By maintaining its support for Mahmoud Abbas after the “unilateral” recognition of a Palestinian state, Paris risks “marginalizing itself in the peace process” and “losing all influence in the region.”
According to the Elysée Palace, Tuesday’s meeting ”follows on from France’s recognition of the Palestinian State and the work undertaken to implement a peace and security plan for all in the Middle East.”
”It also follows on from the ministerial meeting on October 9 and the Sharm El-Sheikh summit, which were devoted to the operationalization of this plan and the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire, concluded on the same day.”
During their meeting, Macron and Abbas discussed the “full implementation” of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement and announced a joint French-Palestinian committee to draw up a Palestinian constitution.
“We decided together to establish a joint committee for the consolidation of the state of Palestine,” the French President said, adding that it would “contribute to drawing up a new constitution, a draft of which president Abbas presented to me”. Abbas said he agreed “to the swift establishment of the constitutional committee”.
The two leaders also discussed the ‘’alarming’’ situation in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria).
In a stateent issued after the meeting, Macron said: ‘’Settler violence and the acceleration of settlement projects are reaching new heights, threatening the stability of the West Bank and constituting violations of international law. As I said earlier, plans for partial or total annexation, whether legal or de facto, constitute a red line that we will respond to strongly with our European partners if they are implemented.”
Emmanuel Navon, professor of international relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, desribed what he called ‘’France’s hostile policy towards Israel.’’
According to this specialist of France’s policy, Paris no longer seeks to play a balancing role, but now acts as an open adversary of Israel.
“France continues to behave like a former mandatory power’’ and follows an anti-American reflex inherited from Gaullism, but “without the vision or greatness of General de Gaulle.”
“While most European countries—Italy, Germany, Eastern Europe—support Israel, Paris stands apart and acts impertinently in the Middle East,’’ he said.