15/7/96

Only France

By: SAM ORBAUM

INTERNATIONAL diplomacy is a funny thing. Every nuance is analyzed for its every possible ulterior motive. Outside of a state of war, no respectable nation openly upbraids another. It's just not done.
    I'm not the sort who believes every non-Jew is a latent antisemite, but I have noticed over the years that diplomacy vis-a-vis Israel is sometimes surprisingly arrogant, crude and patronizing.
    Britain, that paragon of propriety, has a rich history of churlish conceit toward us; half the world broke off relations following the 1967 war, though they weren't even indirectly involved; even today, visiting diplomats gleefully head straight for Orient House despite or because of the embarrassment to Israel.
    European countries, which should behave with more dignity and respect, regularly drop their pretense and snap and snarl at this country; even the US has taken a snide poke -- you'll recall James Baker's outrageous declaration that Israel should call the White House phone number if it ever gets serious about peace.
    However, no country is as cynical in its diplomacy as France.
    Last Thursday, Defense Minister Charles Millon announced that relations between the countries would be lowered if the peace process were stopped. Not even Egypt, which would be pleased to unyoke its high-level ties with Israel, has gone as far, and as quickly, in threatening to single out Israel for punishment.
    This is the very same France that slapped an arms embargo on Israel on the eve of the Six Day War, when this besieged state was almost totally dependent on it for weaponry. France broke all of its agreements and contracts in the hour of Israel's critical need, coolly appointing itself God over the fate of a people awaiting mass invasion.
    This is the same France that upheld its immoral embargo on Israel -- no, it didn't punish any of the other combatants -- until just two years ago, when it signed a new set of defense agreements with this country, which it is now, again, threatening to abrogate.
    France is thus putting the entire onus on Israel for the success of the peace process.
The Palestinians and Jordan have a right to take such a stance. But France? Its only direct involvement, I can safely assume, is that its many economic partners in the Arab world have instructed it to pressure Israel, or else. Somehow, I can't imagine France telling them "our principles and policies are not for sale."

FRANCE'S obnoxious attitude denigrates Israel's independence, more so because this peace process is viewed by a majority of voting Israelis as jeopardizing this country's security.
France did not threaten to cool ties with Syria, the Palestinians, the Lebanese or the Saudis if the peace talks stopped. Only with Israel.
    France did not imperil its lucrative ties with the terror-mongers of Syria or Iran by warning them to behave like responsible members of the international community. It completely exonerates these governments, which are literally getting away with murder and waylaying the peace process.
    France can think of no reason to humble criminal states such as Libya, Iraq or Sudan, or the various genocidal states of Africa, for their gross violations of human conduct.
    Only Israel.
    It didn't matter that Prime Minister Netanyahu, only hours earlier in Washington, stressed his commitment to the peace process in some form or another; or that the Palestinians have routinely broken their promises (France can certainly identify with that), or that Syria would have had all its demands met before the elections if only it weren't so unbelievably bullheaded and fanatically imperious. Millon, and France, flagrantly blame Israel alone for a failure that hasn't even happened yet.
    If the peace process does fail, it will be because we who live here decided it should, thanks to an electoral process based, ironically, on liberte, fraternite and egalite, which no other country in this region embraces.