French FM: US Jewry more 'intransigent' than Sharon
By Herb Keinon
In order to pressure Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to show more flexibility, the EU should try to whittle away at American Jewry's support for the prime minister, French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine said in a closed meeting Monday.
In the world according to Vedrine, who as a result of the recent French elections is on his way out of office, Sharon is an obstacle to the peace process bolstered in his intransigence by American Jewry, which Vedrine said is essentially more Sharon than Sharon.
These diplomatic insights were shared by Vedrine at a closed meeting with the EU and Mediterranean state foreign ministers in Valencia, Spain, on Monday night.
In comments which diplomatic officials who were in attendance said reflected Vedrine's deep frustration with Sharon and the situation here, the French foreign minister said American Jewry - which supports Sharon - is more "intransigent" than the prime minister, and influences the positions of President George Bush.
"The Jewish organizations," Vedrine said according to diplomatic officials at the meeting, "have not made the switch toward peace." Referring to Former US Secretary of State James Baker who applied heavy pressure on Israel in the early 1990s, Vedrine said "without Baker's pressure, Oslo would never have come about." Therefore, Vedrine said, "I am not in favor of economic pressure [on Israel], I don't think economic pressure is effective. But political pressure is definitely helpful.
The job of the European Union is to strengthen the peace camp in Israel, strengthen the PA, and change US positions." Pierre Lebovics, the spokesman for the French embassy in Tel Aviv, refrained from commenting on Vedrine's words regarding American Jewry, because he had not seen the text of the comments.
However, Lebovics said, "I can confirm that my minister is not in favor of economic sanctions."
One EU diplomatic official, responding to Vedrine's comments regarding American Jewry, said there is nothing wrong with trying to convince people their direction is wrong.
"What is wrong with trying to convince a target group that their attitudes are mistaken or bring negative results.
"If Europe is convinced that the solution- a long lasting solution - will only come through restoring a political dialogue, then the next logical step is to convince all the players of this reality," the official said.
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice president of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, responded to Vedrine's comments about pressuring American Jewry by saying "any effort of that kind would only intensify the resolve of the Jewish community. Our support is not tied to the particular government in power in Israel, the community's record in supporting efforts to achieve a true peace speaks for itself."
According to Hoenlein, "change is indeed called for, but on the part of the French government and the EU who need to return to a position of at least objectivity to Israel, rather than the open and blatant hostility that is now being manifested."
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