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Sharon on fence-mending tour to France
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon - persona non grata in France only a year ago - arrived in Paris on a fence-mending mission amid cautious French praise for Israel's pending withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Sharon, who stirred fury in Paris last year by encouraging French Jews to emigrate because of French anti-Semitism, is making his first visit to France since a brief trip after taking office four years ago. "Our relations with France are strengthening at every level, notably commercially," Sharon told France's Le Monde in an interview published Tuesday. Bilateral ties have been icy for years. French President Jacques Chirac, seen by many Israelis as too pro-Arab, has not visited Israel since 1996, when he angrily shouted at Israeli police and accused them of limiting his movements during a tour of Jerusalem's holy sites. Sharon arrived Tuesday evening in Paris. He was to meet Chirac on Wednesday morning with talks expected to focus on the pullout from Gaza and four small West Bank settlements in coming weeks. In the newspaper interview, Sharon said he wanted to consult with Chirac on issues including Iran, Syria and the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah. "I appreciate his understanding of the region," he said. France co-sponsored a U.N. resolution last fall calling on Syrian troops to leave Lebanon, and with Britain and Germany it has led an effort to keep Iran from developing nuclear arms _ each to Israel's delight. "Today we're trying to rebuild confidence, to rebuild an open-spirited dialogue," Israel's ambassador to France, Nissim Zvili, told RTL radio. French officials appeared cautious not to overplay the visit. "The fact that Mr. Sharon is coming to France is an important element" in French-Israeli relations, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy told reporters on Tuesday. But when asked to describe the state of bilateral ties, Douste-Blazy sidestepped the question, and said simply that France supported Sharon in the Gaza withdrawal plan. "This disengagement must be accompanied with the pursuit of a political process, and with a respect for the 'road map'," Douste-Blazy said, referring to the stalled peace plan devised two years ago by U.S. President George W. Bush's administration. Douste-Blazy called for "very deep reflection" about Israel's security barrier along the West Bank, saying that it "must respect" all Palestinians. He also urged "recognition" of the West Bank. In the Le Monde interview, Sharon said the security barrier had helped "significantly reduce" the number of attacks by Palestinians in Israel. A year ago, Sharon angered Paris when he told Jewish-American leaders that France was home to "the wildest anti-Semitism" and urged French Jews to emigrate to Israel. Chirac castigated the Israeli leader and said he would not be welcome until he explained his remarks. Since then, Israel has demonstrated greater commitment toward the Gaza withdrawal, seen by France and other countries as one of the best chances in years to bring peace to the Middle East. When he issued the invitation last month, Chirac praised Sharon's "determined and courageous decision" to withdraw from Gaza. Sharon's recent comments on French anti-Semitism have been conciliatory. He praised French efforts to crack down on anti-Semitic violence, saying France should serve as a model for the rest of Europe. "Mr. Chirac has made a lot of effort to fight anti-Semitism, whose growth in Europe worries us and should worry the Europeans," he told Le Monde. Sharon was to meet with Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin on Wednesday, then meet with Douste-Blazy on Thursday. He departs Friday.
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