By El Hanan Miller, Times of Israel
France’s most populous administrative zone, encompassing the capital Paris, has signed a cooperation agreement with the Palestinian district of Jerusalem, a move organizers say is designed to send a “political message” of solidarity with the Palestinians and their aspirations for a future capital in the city.
The French region described the agreement as the “first of its kind.”
The decision is a blow to Israel’s claim that the eastern sector is part of its united capital. A spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry said east Jerusalem “does not exist” as a separate entity and that the French council was “living in a make-believe world.”
The Regional Council of Île-de-France voted September 28 in favor of a “decentralized cooperation agreement” with the Palestinian Authority (PA) district of Jerusalem, making it “the first French community to sign an agreement of cooperation with the Arab part of the holy city,” a statement on the council’s website read. The agreement is to be officially signed during the month of October.
Israel extended its sovereignty to the entire city of Jerusalem following the Six-Day War of 1967, and does not recognize the PA’s Jerusalem district, which incorporates some 400,000 Palestinian residents in Jerusalem and its outskirts.
Île-de-France has earmarked 300,000 euros for the cooperation agreement, which will support vocational training, entrepreneurship, culture, health and social action, as well as “institution building.”
In Jerusalem, 78 percent of Palestinian inhabitants live below the poverty line, the statement continues, and the French projects will focus on “improving the living conditions of local populations.”
The agreement was initiated in early 2011 by Green Party councilmen Jacques Picard and Michel Bock, who also serves as chairman of the international and European action committee in the regional council of Île-de-France.
Picard told The Times of Israel that the idea of collaborating with a Palestinian district was first raised in 2004. It was only natural to twin Paris with the capital of the future Palestinian state, Jerusalem, he said.
“There is very high sensitivity to the Palestinian cause in France,” Picard said. “This symbolic move is certainly intended to send a political message. If such regional exchanges can contribute to peace, all the better.”
Picard noted that the cooperation with Jerusalem was endorsed by French Minister for Cooperation Henri de Raincourt in a public speech delivered in Hebron in January 2012.
Paul Hirschon, a spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry, said the ministry was unaware of the agreement. But he added that such initiatives discouraged the Palestinians from returning to the negotiating table with Israel.
“That Palestinian entity [the Jerusalem district] does not exist,” Hirschon told The Times of Israel. The French council, he said, “seems intent on ignoring reality and living in a make-believe world.” The Jerusalem municipality was also unaware of the agreement.
Picard said that under French law his regional council was not obligated to coordinate with the Israeli government, or the French, on decentralized cooperation agreements. Thirteen such agreements already exist between Île-de-France and other regions — primarily state capitals — including Beirut (Lebanon), Yerevan (Armenia) and Hanoi (Vietnam).
The Palestinian governor of the Jerusalem district, Adnan Husseini, was abroad at time of publication and was not available for comment.
@ yamit82:
Why the disconnect?
What’s the linkage between these attempts at humor
— and the post (#4, above) that you referenced them to?
yamit82 Said:
this is what Israel has been doing all along. Being afraid and under duress for 2000 years creates strong cultural habits sometimes even mimicking Stockhom Syndrome. I think it may also be behind this truth:
yamit82 Said:
This is why I think it is so important to educate the Jews to the double standards, swindles and brainwashing to which they are continually subjected. Perhaps they can then get pissed off enough to do what is good for Jews.
yamit82 Said:
One has shown up. His name is Moshe Feiglin. Mention his name and you’ll hear a dozen unfounded reasons why he can’t be the leader ranging from “too religious” to “not religious enough” and “he has the wrong rabbi.”
@ Canadian Otter:
Good question and I really can’t answer it with any authority. My gut tells me that most American Olim at first come here wanting to become Israeli in all that entails and not try to make Israel into an American clone.
The adjustment process for most Americans in Israel is pretty difficult for most and for the first 3-5 years they are mostly concerned with mundane activities, like learning the language, dealing with Israeli suffocating all compassing bureaucracy and finding suitable employment, housing and schools for their kids. Then for the younger ones there is also the IDF. Before any can focus and give any of their limited time to political activism ,they have been mostly absorbed into Israeli society and react little differently than most other native Israelis.
Most of Israels current and past leaders were and are not stupid but most are in my opinion corrupt, corrupted and corruptible. Money is not the only currency of corruption either. All of them are political cowards, all have misread the tenacity and steadfastness of the common Israeli and all are consistently surprised when those same Israelis produce under fire those characteristics of patriotism and tenacity that are absent from our leadership and that includes all of them from right to left.
Israelis will support and stand by any strong-willed leader who is perceived to be doing the right thing for Israel. When one finally shows up, he will have near wall to wall support from the People of Israel minus the Arabs and the 10-15% of Israeli Traitors.
Yamit for Prime Minister!
DIRTY FRENCH JEW-HATERS.
As this is a highly political move and as similar moves, gaza flotilla, have resulted in terror, all the participants, and the money, should be subject to strict accounting, investigation and scrutiny for any terror links. There are perhaps violations of security laws which can and should be applied in the most aggressive manner.
Strong messages should be sent, These arrogant French faces should be slapped and then afterward, like a dog who shit on the rug, rub their faces in their own shit. I for one would like to see any possible dirty tricks arranged on these arrogant frogs to teach them that they are not in france but in the land of the Jews. A good rifle butt in the face at a roadblock would be appropriate
yamit82 Said:
dear yamit,
in my opinion, you have hit the nail right on the head with a sledgehammer.
i saw the pictures you posted where JEWS attack jews in amona…i read the travety of feiglin being arrested for praying at har habayit…
musloids getting away with murder (literally)
idf officer on trial for pushing an antisemite scumbag with his rifle (instead of just shooting the bastatd)….
there is a very heavy load to be carried. the security and survival of the state of israel at stake and it just seems like everybody is preocuppied with nonesense.
does really nobody get it?
corruption seems to be the key!
run yamit! (for office),
RUN!
@ yamit82:
Question for Yamit: I’ve always wondered why haven’t US born and bred Olim changed the political culture for the better in Israel? After all they grew up with clear notions of citizens’ rights and political participation.
Not even selling the land, but enthusiastically giving it away! And not only to the Arabs.
– Part of the Russian Compound in Jerusalem was recently ceded to the Russians, apparently in exchange for an invitation to Russia for the PM. “Russia made clear to PM Netanyahu that it will cancel his planned visit to Moscow next week if Israel does not carry out its commitment to transfer the compound to Russian hands.” – http://www.indynewsisrael.com/israel-ceding-jerusalem-property-to-russia
– There are still ongoing talks to cede key sites of Jerusalem to the Vatican. The latest I heard is that the Vatican’s envoy sounded rather cheerful about their progress. The Vatican wants to get its hands on David’s Tomb to start with.
@ Canadian Otter:
This has been going on for many years.
American AID is building like crazy roads and Palis institutional infrastructure in Jerusalem as well as all over Y&S including in Area C.
Voltaire, a wise anti-Semite who remarked correctly “that should the Jews get their own state, they would sell it”.
Israel even welcomes high-ranking Germans with an Israeli military band playing “Deutschland Uber Alles.” We have no national pride or sense of pride.
The main problem of the Jews is and always has been the Jews themselves. Fix that problem and most of all the others would disappear.
@ yamit82:
France “is a dog-hole.”
Shakespeare
France’s Prime Minister’s Name, Ayrault, is Butt of Arabic Jokes
@ Yidvocate:
“is a dog-hole.”
Shakespeare
@ Yidvocate:
“is a dog-hole.”
Shakespeare
France’s Prime Minister’s Name, Ayrault, is Butt of Arabic Jokes
@ dweller:
Q: Why wasn’t “Yushka” born in France?
A: Because they couldn’t find three wise men and a virgin.
Seen on back of restroom door:
“Here I sit with my buns a’clenchin, giving birth to another Frenchman. “
@ Laura:
Not only the Jews but they are treacherous to everyone even themselves much like the Arabs. The Islamization of France is not just poetic Justice ,but plain old Justice they are so so deserving.
Mark Twain
@ issy kahane:
Symbolic gestures can influence and become normative. Never allow even minor sores or scratches to become infected, some infections if untreated can become life threatening and fatal.
@ Andrew:
Sadly, this is true for only the Jewish parts of Jerusalem. Seems the government of Israel has given up the rest.
Who cares what the french say. Ever since WWII the Japanese have been asking for the Kurile islands back. The Russians say …. off. You started and lost a war
At various times Paris was occupied and ruled by the English for 16 years and by the Germans for 4 years.
Jerusalem is now controlled by its rightful owners.
This is nothing more than Givat Olga (within the municiple area of hadera) signing an agreement with Golders Green.
Was the French Ambassador called in? Will the gutless wonders of Israel’s foreign ministry lift a finger? We all know the answers. But hey, some Israeli rock band is touring Arabia which, of course, means peace is on the horizon and Shimon Peres can eat felafel in Beirut.
By such an action, the French government is retroactively legitimizing Jordan’s illegal 1948 conquest and occupation of the eastern part of Jerusalem and the ethnic cleansing of Jews. Jerusalem is not a historically divided city, it was only divided during those 19 years and it was never the capital of any muslim state. By what right do the French have to unilaterally declare that any part of Jerusalem does not belong to the Jewish state, but rather to a ficticious state of an invented people? On what basis is there for the Arab-muslims to claim sovereignty over any part of Jerusalem with 3000 years of Jewish history? There is none. Screw the French. The French have a long and sordid history of treachery against the Jews. That France is being lost to islamization is poetic justice.
And HOW would stunts like this accomplish that?
I seem to recall that some significant chunks of Paris and environs are also Arab no-go zones. Perhaps Iran or other Arab countries should signs such agreements with these Arabs to help them develop their unique culture and see how France appreciates that.
A FASCINATING INTERVIEW
Although unrelated, I’d like to recommend Tamar Yonah’s interview with William R Forstchen, author of One Second After, on Israel National Radio. This interview is a frank discussion of what would happen to the United States after an EMP blast in the atmosphere, and how it would almost wipe out the entire population over a few months due to lack of water, food, medicine, and the resulting social mayhem.
His fictional book One Second After tells the story of one small college town, and how the community managed to survive by organizing themselves and raising an army.
This author has an emotional connection with Israel, which showed on the last part of the show.
Tamar’s column with another expert’s advice – http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Blogs/Message.aspx/5050
Tamar’s interview with William R. Forstchen – http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/News.aspx/4241#.UGgg35jMhWs
ISRAELI GOVT and US govt already regard eastern Jerusalem as PA territory.
Just ask police, who simply refuse to go there when Jews encircled by an Arab mob call asking for assistance. Policeman: “Eastern Jerusalem not for Jews” – http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/143390
Orders for police are not to intervene: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/148081
MKs say PA taking over Jerusalem with government assistance. Jews are often not allowed to drive on the local roads, while Arab Israeli citizens are allowed to do so. MK Aryeh Eldad: “Israeli police and the authorities have abandoned an Israeli area and are allowing Hamas and the PA policemen to do as they wish.”
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/144501
And the US consulate in Jerusalem has for years been openly and aggressively pursuing a pro-Arab Jerusalem agenda – without any objection from the Israeli government.