Non, merci

The French foreign minister will be ending his term in office soon. It's hard to pinpoint any major achievements for Monsieur Laurent Fabius during his tenure: Syria, the Islamic State group and global terrorism, Ukraine, the immigration crisis, the plight of Christians in Iraq and the disgraceful nuclear deal with Iran were all on his watch. Fabius did not cause these crises, but his contribution to their resolution won't be taught in schools for diplomacy anytime soon. In the meantime, Fabius will soon be packing his bags, and he wants to leave a legacy.

So then, how does one go about doing that? Perhaps he would put in a greater effort in Syria? Maybe take a tougher stance toward Iran? Will he help build a coalition of ground forces to fight ISIS? Don't make us laugh. What better than to use the customary ace card: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

What we have here, Fabius believes, is a formula for a legacy. France will soon (there isn't much time, after all) convene an international summit to be attended by the United States and countries from Europe and the Arab world. And if the French initiative falls flat (and why wouldn't it today-), France will recognize a Palestinian state. It's pure genius. How has no one thought of this before-

Not a negotiation, a negation

According to the French initiative, the Palestinian delegation has no incentive to compromise. Fabius has invented a new type of negotiation. Rather than a negotiation, it is a negation of one side. It will be an international summit with pre-determined results, in which Israel will be singled out even further in the world and on the streets of Paris as the evil side obstructing the path to peace. We already know what the consequences will be.

Fabius can save the cost of inviting guests and organizing this festival, even though it's always nice to visit the Eiffel Tower. The foreign minister should recognize a Palestinian state right now and spare us the dog and pony show and the frustration it will bring. The Swedes already did so in 2014, just like 70% of U.N. member states. We are sorry to tell you, Monsieur Fabius, but this dramatic gesture of yours won't be particularly original.

We must put the French proposal in its proper proportions. The moment a diplomatic initiative comes with a dictate, it allows one of the two sides to say "non, merci" (no thank you, in French). We already went through this in the spring of 2015, when the very same Fabius pushed for negotiations with an 18-month time frame. Israel said no, Washington wasn't overly thrilled about it either, and even the Arab response was less than enthusiastic. Only the Palestinians, just like today, were eager. Of course they were. Last October, the French also proposed sending international observers to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, perhaps as a prize for Palestinian terrorism.

Experience teaches us that Fabius' initiatives fizzle out on their own.

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