France summons Israeli ambassador

Friday, 24 July 2009 08:36 Al Manar
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Israel, July 24 (Al Manar) French Foreign Ministry questions Ambassador Daniel Shek, demands immediate end to Jewish settlement building 'including in east Jerusalem'. Shek also told that 'Israel should open checkpoints regularly to allow reconstruction of Gaza'
France's Foreign Ministry questioned Israel's ambassador Thursday and demanded an immediate end to settlement building and freer movement in and out of Gaza.
"An immediate freeze in settlements, including in east Jerusalem, is indispensable for preserving the two-state solution and allowing the resumption of negotiations," French Foreign Ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier said.
The French ministry also expressed concern about difficulties French diplomats have experienced in getting around the Palestinian territories because of Israeli security measures.
"Israel should open checkpoints regularly to allow the reconstruction of Gaza," Chevallier said.
France has helped lead an international push against settlement building, which has caused a rift between Israel and the United States. President Barack Obama has called for a halt to settlement construction as a confidence-building move to get stalled peace negotiations back on track.
The U.S. administration has issued a stiff warning to Israel not to build in the area known as E-1, which lies between occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim. Any change in the status quo in E-1 would be "extremely damaging," even "corrosive," the message said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed in the past to finally build the 3,500 housing units in E-1. He opened his recent election campaign with a visit to Ma'aleh Adumim in which he declared: "I will link Jerusalem to Ma'aleh Adumim via the Mevasseret Adumim neighborhood, E-1. I want to see one continuous string of built-up Jewish neighborhoods."
Next week, three senior American officials will visit Israel: special envoy George Mitchell, National Security Advisor James Jones and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Mitchell will continue his efforts to reach agreement on a settlement freeze, including in East Jerusalem, while the other two will focus on Iran.

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