Jospin defiant on Mid East policy

In an animated National Assembly debate yesterday, the French Prime Minister, Mr Lionel Jospin, refused to apologise for recent comments that were interpreted as pro-Israeli and as a challenge to President Jacques Chirac's control of foreign policy.

Throughout the one-hour session, the Prime Minister gave the impression of being biased in favour of Israel. "Israel has always been a friend and we share with it the values of democracy," he said, adding that a million French speakers live in the Jewish state. His predecessor as prime minister, Mr Alain Juppe, reminded Mr Jospin that many Lebanese also speak French.

Mr Jospin said he is certain that Israeli troops will withdraw from southern Lebanon next July, as promised by Prime Minister, Mr Ehud Barak. He changed his February 24th allusion to Hizbullah "terrorism" to "acts of war", "violence" and "fanaticism". Since the Israelis will leave Lebanon, Mr Jospin argues, Hizbullah should not attack them in the meantime. The Lebanese guerrillas should "support the peace process," he said.

Yet by the admission of Mr Jospin's Foreign Minister, Mr Hubert Vedrine, negotiations between Syria and Israel - upon which Lebanon's fate depends - are at a standstill. To his reported embarrassment, Mr Vedrine has gone through verbal contortions to defend Mr Jospin since the February 24th gaffe. The two men looked uneasy as they whispered in their National Assembly seats yesterday.

Mr Vedrine insisted there has been no attempt to change France's Middle East policy. And he spoke of his own fears for the "peace process".

The departure of the former prime minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, had raised immense hopes, Mr Vedrine said. "You can't help noticing that this hope is transforming itself into impatience, disappointment and tension," he added.

Mr Jospin twice accused President Jacques Chirac of having publicly contradicted President Mitterrand on foreign policy issues during their 1986-1988 co- habitation. In its 1,000 days, he claimed, his own government has never criticised Mr Chirac.

Yet Mr Jospin seemed eager to carve out a greater foreign policy role for himself. Article 20 of the French constitution says that the government determines and conducts the policy of the nation. "And the policy of the nation cannot be reduced to domestic affairs - it includes foreign policy," he said.

Mr Juppe accused Mr Jospin of taking France's Middle East policy back 45 years, to when France allied itself with Israel in the Suez crisis. It is easy for politicians to become emotional when they visit the Middle East, Mr Juppe said. But the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and of Lebanese under Israeli bombardment should not be ignored. "Compassion must not be unilateral," Mr Juppe told Mr Jospin.