A group of diplomats meets in the French capital today to propose a revival of the Israel-Palestinian peace process; conspicuously excluded are representatives either of Israel or of the Palestinians. While less than sanguine about the results, Eran Lerman explains why Jerusalem has kept its objections mellow:
For many reasons, most notably the pressure exerted by a large and vocal Muslim minority, French leaders have shown themselves ever more eager to endorse schemes in support of Palestinian demands. . . . [The current] drive to impose “parameters” is inimical to Israeli interests.
[Nonetheless], it is necessary to take a broader look at regional dynamics and at French policy responses, which tend to align closely with Israeli positions on the issue that truly matters: the need to face up to the threat posed by radical Islamist totalitarianism.
On more than one occasion, French positions and actions on this subject have been more reassuring from an Israeli point of view than those of [Israel’s] American ally. For example, France served as the hardline anchor of the P5+1 [during the nuclear negotiations with Iran]. . . .
In terms of action against Islamist terror groups, French forces have done more than most, including a dramatic campaign in Mali. Equally important is the French reluctance to buy into the illusion that the Muslim Brotherhood could be a stabilizing partner, as well as the ongoing relationship between France and the current regime in Egypt.
It is against this background that Israeli leadership has taken a cautious line in response to the French peace initiative. Israel did make the point repeatedly that the French initiative would prove counterproductive, insofar as it would move Palestinian leadership even farther away from compromise at the negotiating table. But the point was not made aggressively, and French motives and friendship with Israel were never subject to question. The tempered Israeli response reflects, above all, the importance of broader regional imperatives in Israel’s current diplomatic calculations.
The same applies to Egypt, which on May 28 led the Arab League in endorsing the French initiative. From an Israeli perspective, there is little in recent history to commend Egyptian intervention in the Palestinian negotiations. . . . However, times change.
Read more on BESA Center: http://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/342-between-paris-and-cairo/