The threat issued by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius that his country will recognize a Palestinian state if its efforts to revive the peace process via a regional conference fail means that France is not an honest broker. Fabius' position encourages the Palestinians to refrain from coming to the negotiating table, even though just last week Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas claimed he wanted to resume peace talks and it was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who was not interested. Now, even if negotiations are renewed, the Palestinians will have no incentive to be flexible, as they have an insurance policy that dictates that a failure of the talks will lead to French recognition of a Palestinian state. Such a scenario could make things very complicated for Israel, although it is believed the U.S. would veto any initiative at the U.N., at least until the presidential election in November. Any recognition of a Palestinian state by the U.N. would turn Israel's presence in Judea and Samaria into an occupation of a U.N. member state. What is the French Foreign Ministry turning a cold shoulder to Israel now? How could it be doing so just two months after French President Francois Holland declared war on Islamic terrorism- However, France's abandonment of an evenhanded approach and its deviation from the rules of diplomacy (as well as the refusal of the U.S. to rule out the French initiative) indicate that Israel is on a collision course with its supporters in the West. France is at the front of the line, with the U.S. just a few steps behind. The international trend is clear -- increased diplomatic pressure on Israel, which strengthens the boycott movement against it. For Israel's friends around the world, the situation is perplexing. Netanyahu would be wise to limit construction in Judea and Samaria to inside the settlement blocs. If extreme rightists in his coalition prevent him from doing so, there will be grave diplomatic consequences. Israel cannot continue to automatically reject every peace initiative. The time has come for the government to seriously deliberate over the following strategic questions: -- What are the costs and benefits of the current Israeli policies which are viewed by the world as rejectionist- -- What will be the price of continuing to adhere to these policies and is the government willing to pay it- -- Given the current composition of the government, are there any alternative policies- On Sunday, Israeli ambassadors from around the world are meeting in Jerusalem. When they speak frankly, government ministers should listen closely.
