TEL AVIV, April 28, 2010 (WAFA)-French President Nicolas Sarkozy has told Shimon Peres that he is disappointed with Benjamin Netanyahu and finds it hard to understand his diplomatic plan, daily Haaretz reported.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has told his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres that he is disappointed with Benjamin Netanyahu and finds it hard to understand the prime minister's diplomatic plan. Sarkozy made his comments at the Elysee Palace two weeks ago.
The latest criticism follows the diplomatic crisis between Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama and the subsequent fallout between Netanyahu and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
High-level Israeli officials briefed on the Peres-Sarkozy meeting called it 'very difficult'. The officials, who asked to remain anonymous, said Sarkozy began criticizing Netanyahu at the start of the discussion and continued for around 15 minutes.
Sarkozy's remarks were only slightly more measured than the condemnation he expressed over Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman last summer. 'You must get rid of that man,' Sarkozy told Netanyahu at the time.
Sarkozy met with Obama the week before in Washington; the effect of the encounter was evident in the French leader's discussion with Peres. Sarkozy expressed frustration at the continuing stagnation of the peace process and assigned much of the responsibility to Netanyahu.
'I'm disappointed with him,' he reportedly told Peres. 'With the friendship, sympathy and commitment we have toward Israel, we still can't accept this foot-dragging. I don't understand where Netanyahu is going or what he wants.'
After listening to his host's remarks in full, Peres reportedly replied: 'I'm aware that trust between Israel and the Palestinians has been undermined, but Israel has reached out its hand in peace and adopted the two-state principle, and Israel is working to strengthen and develop the Palestinian economy. There is no alternative to returning to the negotiating table as soon as possible.'
Last month Merkel accused Netanyahu of distorting the nature of a telephone discussion they had had following the uproar over Israel's authorization of construction in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo.
Meanwhile, Italian diplomats have said Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's unqualified support for Israel on the Palestinian issue has also begun to wane. 'Netanyahu spoke with Berlusconi twice recently by phone, and each time said he would surprise him on the Palestinian issue, but this doesn't seem to be in the offing,' one of the diplomats said.
