Charles Bremner blog: Carla upsets French Left

Nicolas Sarkozy today overturned more than a dozen years of icy relations between France and Israel when he became the first French President to visit the Jewish State for 12 years, pledging to "block" Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Mr Sarkozy received a standing ovation at the Knesset Monday, where he spoke of assuming a role as a Middle East peace broker, described a nuclear Iran as "intolerable" and offered to mobilise French troops to aid Israel.

"I ask you to trust us because we want to help you… France is ready to provide its guarantee, ready to mobilise its diplomatic service, its resources, its soldiers. You can trust France,” he said.

Mr Sarkozy also drew impromptu applause when he swore to defend Israel in the face of any existential threat, including that of a nuclear Iran. "A nuclear Iran is intolerable. Anyone trying to destroy Israel will find France blocking the way."

Despite the warm words, Sarkozy made several points of criticism in his speech, calling on Israel to halt Jewish settlement activity in the West Bank and to ease travel restrictions on Palestinians living there. "There can be no peace without stopping settlements," he said.

Israeli authorities have announced the construction of hundreds of new homes for Jewish settlers in the West Bank in recent months, infuriating the Palestinians and drawing criticism from the international community which regards all settlements on occupied land as illegal.

An aide to Mr Sarkozy said that President’s visit could herald a greater role for the French in the Middle East peace process. Noting that the US elections had greatly handicapped the ability of the Americans to make progress in the region, the aide said that when France assumes the EU presidency July 1, it could use its position to influence political players in the Middle East.

Since taking office a year ago, Mr Sarkozy has repeatedly described himself a "friend of Israel,” breaking rank with previous French presidents who aligned themselves more closely with Israel’s Arab neighbours. Mr Sarkozy is the first French president to visit Israel in almost 12 years, and only the second to address the Israeli parliament after Francois Mitterrand in 1982.

Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, applauded Sarkozy for his "determination to root out anti-Semitism in France," and said that ties between France and Israel had seen a revival under his leadership.

It was not Mr Olmert, however, that the French president seemed most delighted in meeting, but rather Shimon Peres, the 82-year-old Israeli President and veteran politician. “It is very moving to be here, near a person who embodies the history of Israel. To talk with you is to hear about the future and learn about history,” said Mr Sarkozy.

Mr Peres is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Mediterranean nations in Paris on July 13. French officials said that he will likely sit at the same table as Bashar Assad, the Syrian President.

The invitation of Mr Assad to Paris conference also marks a significant step for Syria, which has been largely shunned by the western world since it was implicated in the assassination of Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister, in 2005. Mr Hariri was highly regarded among international leaders and was a close personal friend of former French President Jacques Chirac, who repeatedly called for the isolation of Syria.

Mr Sarkozy promised Israel, however, that it would put the brakes on its rapprochement with Syria until Damascus shows willing to distance itself from the axis of extremists, in particular Iran.

Mr Sarkozy will conclude his visit Tuesday afternoon, holding a meeting with the parents of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was abducted to Gaza in 2006. Shalit's father, Noam is of French extraction, and Gilad holds French citizenship. In his address to the Knesset, Sarkozy offered to assist in efforts to Corporal Shalit, and the two Israeli reservists held by Hezbollah since July 2006.

While Mr Sarkozy’s words were lauded over by the local Israeli press, images of his glamorous wife dominated the media.

“Queen Carla” has arrived, said the headline on Israel’s largest daily, Yediot Ahronot. Inside was a two-page spread with a discussion of her $2,500 Prada dress and $1,200 hand purse. Mr Sarkozy’s diplomatic mission was included in a sidebar of the page.

In the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper, an enlarged image of Mrs Bruni Sarkozy topped the front page, with her husband and the Israeli prime minister appear off-hand in the background.

Even the local Arab press, which has largely ignored Mr Sarkozy’s visit, could not resist the images of the French first lady. The Al-Quds newspaper showed images of her wardrobe on their news pages, and Israel Radio's Arabic channel invited in a local fashion designer to discuss her choice of clothes.

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