Chirac unhelpful on Hizbullah ban
Jerusalem Post | Feb. 15, 2005 | Herb Keinon
 

Despite Israeli efforts to press the European Union to place Hizbullah on its list of terror groups, EU foreign ministers were not expected to vote on the matter at their scheduled meeting Wednesday, a senior Israeli official said Monday.

The official's comments followed a meeting Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom held in Paris with French President Jacques Chirac, in which Shalom called for France to support blacklisting Hizbullah.

According to Israeli officials, Chirac indicated no readiness to do so, saying only that there was a need to focus on the democratization of Lebanon, and that if this were to take place, Hizbullah would cease to be a problem.

France's traditional position has been that Hizbullah should not be deemed a terror organization since it has a parliamentary faction inside Lebanon.

The EU foreign ministers are still expected to discuss the matter Wednesday, though a vote is considered unlikely because there is no consensus on the matter. A consensus among the 25 EU states is necessary in order to place Hizbullah on the list.

Shalom told Chirac that Syria, Hizbullah and Iran were working to undermine Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and derail the diplomatic process.

Chirac received news of the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, with whom he was considered close, just after Shalom left the Palais de l'Elys e.

During the meeting, Shalom and Chirac discussed the internal Lebanese situation, with Shalom calling for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1559, which called for Syria to remove its troops from Lebanon. France had backed that resolution.

According to Shalom's office, the two discussed "Syria's negative impact" on the factions inside Lebanon.

In addition to Syria and Hizbullah, the two also discussed Iran's nuclear program, with Shalom calling for the issue to be sent to the United Nations Security Council for sanctions to be imposed on Teheran.

According to Israeli officials, of the three European states negotiating with Iran over the issue – France, Germany and Britain – France has taken the most aggressive approach.

Shalom also asked for Chirac's help in forging Israeli ties with Persian Gulf and North African countries, with whom France has good ties.

Shalom praised Chirac on his stand against anti-Semitism, saying that France is leading Europe in the fight against anti-Semitism. In this context he praised Chirac for France's decision last year to ban broadcasts by Hizbullah's satellite TV channel Al-Manar, which was using a Paris-based satellite operator and was broadcasting virulently anti-Semitic material.

Following the meeting with Chirac, Shalom met French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier, and rededicated Israel's embassy in Paris, which was extensively damaged by fire three years ago.