Baroud on the Paris Conference

• June 15, 2016, 9:29 pm

The French government has its own reasons for taking the lead on reviving the dormant peace talks. Writing in Israel’s Arutz Sheva, Eran Lerman explained the French endeavour in more practical terms: “Broad regional security considerations” are driving the French diplomatic initiatives. In fact, the logic behind this is discernible. French President Francois Hollande’s approval ratings are at an all-time low. As of March, he broke his own record of low approval, sinking to 17 per cent. His country is embattled by violence, massive strikes and non-strategic foreign policy decisions that resulted in French military involvement in Libya, Mali and Syria.

Leading world leaders in another peace gambit that will certainly digress and distract from the US failure on that front is a clever political calculation from the French perspective. It may even help Hollande appear stately perhaps even accord him the position of a leader.

However, and not unsurprisingly, the Israelis rejected the initiative right away, without even bothering with a public diplomacy campaign to defend their position, as they often do. Dora Gold, director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry repeated on the eve of the conference what Netanyahu and others have parroted for weeks. The conference will “completely fail”, she said, calling on Abbas to engage in direct talks with no prior conditions instead.

The nonchalant Israeli position can be partly explained by Tel Aviv’s trust in the French government, the very government that is taking the lead in the fight against the pro-Palestine Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS). “French positions and actions on this subject have been more reassuring from an Israeli point of view than those of our American ally,” wrote Lerman.

-Read more: Paris conference a tired and cliched failure – Ramzy Baroud, Gulf News