Israel’s Ambassador to France. Mordechai Gazit, met this morning with French Foreign Minister Louis de Guiringaud for one hour of “frank” explanations after relations between the two countries were shaken by France’s decision to release Palestinian terrorist Abu Daoud.
It was the first top-level Franco-Israeli meeting since Jan.12 when the Israeli envoy was recalled to Jerusalem “for consultation,” a diplomatic term used to express Israel’s anger and disappointment. Gazit returned to France last Friday.
The Israeli Ambassador and de Guiringaud agreed this morning to re-examine the Franco-Israeli extradition treaty to prevent the repetition of another Daoud incident. The legal advisor to the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Meir Rosenne, will arrive in Paris to help the Israeli Embassy staff in this re-examination process.
De Guiringaud and Gazit also made last minute preparations for tomorrow’s meeting in Brussels between the French Minister and Israel’s Foreign Minister Yigal Allon. The two are due to meet immediately after Allon signs the new financial agreement between Israel and the nine-state European Economic Community (EEC).
The two ministers will decide tomorrow on de Guiringaud’s plan to visit Israel. Feb. 27 as part of a general fact-finding tour in the Middle East. The French openly say that this tour is part of a general French mission “in accordance with its role” in the area, a view opposed by Israel which does not consider France neutral or objective enough to play any mediation role in the area. It is understood that Gazit made this view clear to de Guiringaud in courteous but clear terms.
The Ambassador is expected to meet later this week with French Minister of Justice Olivier Guichard and Prime Minister Raymond Barre. It is generally believed he will also confer in the near future with President Valery Giscard d’ Estaing.
DETERMINED TO IMPROVE RELATIONS
Israel hopes to obtain from them a coherent explanation of the entire Daoud incident and to hear why France did not respect the extradition agreement with Israel, setting Daoud free before it even considered a fully documented Israeli extradition request.
French diplomatic circles seem determined to try and improve relations with Israel in spite of last minute frictions and misunderstandings. The latest in this chain occurred last week when certain Israeli and Jewish newspapers rapped France’s attitude during the EEC political meeting held in London Jan. 31.
The French say, and their version seems correct, that at this meeting they adopted a neutral attitude leaving the discussion to the other member states. The French Foreign Ministry, which last week issued an official communique on this subject, believes that this misunderstanding occurred because of “subjective suspicions” against France.
The French hope that this sort of misunderstanding can be avoided in future and now seem decided to try and normalize relations between the two countries. Israel is also prepared to go ahead with such a process, but first wants to obtain a clear French explanation of what has taken place.
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