French President Sarkozy visits Israel to broker regional realignment

[Joanne98]

French President Nicolas Sarkozy traveled to Israel June 22-24 to reaffirm his commitment to the state of Israel and to keep diplomatic pressure on Iran and Syria, the current targets of the US in the Middle East. Sarkozy’s visit was part of a continuing French diplomatic offensive in the Middle East, with visits by top officials to the former French colonies of Lebanon on June 7 and Syria on June 15.

Responding to a shift in US Middle East policy, Sarkozy is trying to obtain the maximum possible prestige and commercial benefit from his attempts to repair a regional political order destabilized by US-Israeli foreign policy.

Israel is currently engaged in a war of words with Iran, which it has repeatedly threatened with attack. It continues launching attacks on the Palestinian Hamas government in the Gaza strip. After launching a US-backed war against Lebanon in 2006, it is embroiled in a tense standoff with the well-armed Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, which fought Israel to a draw in 2006.

In his June 23 speech to the Knesset, Sarkozy made clear that his efforts to repair the situation would take place firmly within the parameters of what is acceptable to Washington and Tel Aviv.

He denounced Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program and reaffirmed France’s commitment to Israeli security. On Iran he said: “Iran’s military nuclear program calls for an extremely firm reaction from the entire international community. Israel must know that it is not alone! France is determined to pursue with its partners a policy allying the most severe sanctions with openness, if Tehran decides to honor its international obligations. But I want to say forcefully: a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable for my country!”

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/jun2008/fran-j26.shtml

They're getting all their ducks in a row, aren't they.