France Officially Recognizes Creation of Palestinian State

France today officially recognized “the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination,” thus implicitly accepting the creation of a Palestinian state. The recognition came in a joint communique by President Valery Giscard d’Estaing, who is on official 10-day lour of the Persian Gulf states and Saudi Arabia, and the ruler of Kuwait, Sheikh Jober al-Ahmed Al-Sabah

“The French President and the Emir of Kuwait express the conviction that the Palestinian problem is not one of refugees but that of a people which must enjoy, within the framework of a just and lasting peace, the right of self-determination the joint communique said at the end of Giscard’s two-day visit to Kuwait.

This is the first time that France has officially supported Palestinian self-determination. Up to now, French officials hove mentioned only “a Palestinian homeland” and have generally supported some sort of autonomy regime.

Diplomatic observers pointed out that for the first time France had not also insisted that the communique mention Israel’s right to exist within safe and recognized borders as if has invariably done in the past. The joint Franco-Kuwaiti communique only mentions that the two countries “have expressed their opinions on the subject.” Kuwait was the first stop on Giscard’s trip. He arrived in Bahrein later today and is scheduled to visit Qatar, Abu Dhabi; Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

STRONGER DECLARATION ANTICIPATED

It is generally expected that Giscard will make an even stronger pro-Palestinian declaration after his meeting with Saudi Arabia’s King Khaled and Prince Fahd scheduled for March 10. Diplomatic sources in Paris believe the French President will announce that France will press for a revision of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 to include a paragraph dealing with “the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”

French sources say Giscard is speaking only on France’s behalf but add that before leaving for the Gulf he had been in close contact with most leaders of the European Economic Community (EEC). On the eve of his departure he conferred by telephone with West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt who was reportedly informed at length of Giscard’s plans. France had also been in contact with Italy, Belgium, Ireland and Luxemburg.

HEAVY BLOW TO ISRAEL SEEN

France’s open pro-Palestinian position, as expressed by Giscard today, could be a heavy blow to Israel. France serves as the uncrowned political leader of the nine-member EEC and its newly-formulated policy could swing the rest of Western Europe in the some direction.

Giscard’s declaration also foreshadows an official recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization of the recognized Palestinian representative and raises the possibility of on official visit to France by PLO leader Yasir Arafat. Israeli diplomats here fear that other West European countries may follow France’s lead in this respect also.

Jewish organizations in France expressed “shock” at the President’s statement and called on the government to reverse its stand “before it is too late.” The French Jewish weekly, “Tribune Juive,” said “France has decided to trade Jews for oil.”

‘ARMS FOR OIL’ GAMBIT

Giscard’s tour was originally seen as an “arms for oil” gambit. France is the world’s third largest arms exporter after the United States and the Soviet Union and last year sold $1 billion worth of weapons to the Gulf area. The addition of Saudi Arabic to Giscard’s trip was seen here as evidence that France will try to work out some kind of Middle East plan with Saudi Arabia and Jordan, two countries opposed to the Camp David agreements.

French political analysts see the situation ripe for a West European initiative. They believe that Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states are disappointed with the United States both because of Washington’s failure to try and rescue the regime of the Shah of Iran and because of what they claim to be America’s continued, pro-Israeli attitude. France believes that it, and its West European partners could move in and at least partially replace American political and economic influence.

The French believe that their tough military interventions in Africa on behalf of allied regimes such as in the Chad, Zaire, Mauritania, the Central African Republic and more recently in Tunisia, as well as what they describe as a “neutral and objective” stance in the Arab-Israeli conflict, have given them the possibility to strengthen their ties with the oil-rich Gulf states. France imported last year $6 billion worth of oil from Saudi Arabia and another $3 billion from Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrein.

French sources say that France would propose a change in Resolution 242 only if the autonomy talks between Egypt, Israel and the U.S. are not successfully concluded by the May 26 deadline. The French will first consult with their West European allies, the sources said Lord Carrington, Britain’s Foreign Secretary, has already proposed to the EEC that it support a change in the UN resolution and recognize the PLO as the official representative of the Palestinians. Italy, Ireland and Belgium have indicated their support.

After the Israeli, Egyptian and U.S. meeting on autonomy talks in The Hague ended last week, both Sol Linowitz, President Carter’s special envoy for Middle East negotiations, and Egyptian Prime Minister Mustapha Khalil briefed French Foreign Minister Jean Francois-Poncet. Khalil, who stayed in Paris for medical and dentate treatment and who met this morning with French Premier Raymond Barre, welcomed Giscard’s statements in Kuwait. “Egypt welcomes any resolution that con lead to self-determination for the Palestinians,” Khalil said. He said this principle is Egypt’s guideline for the autonomy negotiations.