Elie Barnavi pleads for the creation of a Palestinian state and assures that if France took the decision to recognize this state, it would have enormous diplomatic and symbolic weight.
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“We have to create momentum. And one of the ways to create it is the recognition of this State” Palestinian, pleaded Wednesday on franceinfo Elie Barnavi, historian and writer, Israeli ambassador to France from 2000 to 2002, while Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognized the State of Palestine on Tuesday with the aim of advance peace in the Middle East. For his part, Emmanuel Macron believes that the recognition of a State of Palestine must be done at a “useful moment”not under the influence of “emotion”. “The right moment is created”judge Elie Barnavi. “It’s not something that comes to you like a gift from heaven.”
“If we want to strengthen the Palestinian Authority, one of the ways to do so is to recognize it as a state”, assures the historian. He underlines “the symbolic dimension” of this recognition. “The symbol would be to give this authority a kind of legitimacy that it does not yet have. It would also strengthen it against Hamas.” Elie Barnavi castigates the government of Israel when he says, “it’s a price for terrorism”. “They say nonsense and they know it. The last thing Hamas wants is a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel. What Hamas wants is a state Palestinian in place of the State of Israel So whatever is good to strengthen the Palestinian Authority, it must be done.
On the side of the Palestinian Authority, they “are very demanding”says Elie Barnavi. “They are trying to insert themselves into all international institutions and they are right.” According to him, “recognizing a Palestinian state is a question of principle. It is not a principle that will depend on the agreement of the government in Jerusalem”. “If we had waited for the Arabs to accept the creation of the State of Israel, we would still be waiting”believes the former ambassador.
Elie Barnavi, author of a column published in early May in The worldcalling for recognition of the State of Palestine, recalls that he “tried to convince the diplomatic cell of the Elysée”. “I really do what I can.” But he doesn’t understand “that we both say yes, it’s not taboo”and we are going “wait for better times. These better times will only come if we create them”. If France did it, “that would be a huge weight”says the former Israeli ambassador to France. “It would be a strong argument for the Palestinian Authority and also a stone in the garden of the most absurd, the most extremist government that we have ever had at the head of the State of Israel.”
“With the horror of October 7 and everything that has happened since, it is now that people, finally those who have eyes to see, understand that there is no other solution”adds Elie Barnavi. “It’s either that or the perpetuation of this senseless killing and the descent into hell.”