“Israel, not entirely evil,” says French socialist (responding with friendly politeness as I address him in an English accent on the streets of Paris):
When London Mayor Ken Livingstone wrote a poison-penned tirade against Israel and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Friday’s edition of the British Guardian, it made headlines in Britain, Israel and beyond.
But when Former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius, the No. 2 in the opposition Socialist Party and a longtime staunch Palestinian advocate, wrote a praiseworthy article of Israel last week in the left-wing, traditionally pro-Palestinian weekly Le Nouvelle Observateur, few took notice.
…
Fabius, a long time central figure of the French Left, penned an article in late February entitled “I am pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli.”
[Thanks to Judith.]
Well I noticed it! Very good article it was too. It must be said that Le Nouvel Obs, sympathetic to the Palestinians as it is, generally takes what I see as a very sensible attitude to the Israeli-Palestinian situation. They’ve always been ready to support Israeli governments that are interested in making peace and now they officially support Ariel Sharon because he’s talking to the Palestinians, even though they disliked him before. Pity Fabius managed to sabotage his political career a few months ago by making himself the standard bearer for the unsuccessful campaign for a ‘no’ in the Socialist Party’s internal referendum on the EU constitution…