Jacques Chirac invited Ariel Sharon to visit France. The French president went public Wednesday with a June 7 letter he wrote to the Israeli prime minister, in which Chirac wrote, “Our bilateral relations over the last three years have taken on a new lease of life as evidenced by the number of high-level visits. . .I would like to strengthen this partnership.” Israeli political sources said Sharon accepted the invitation and proposed three possible dates for the visit. Israeli-French relations have been rocky in light of Paris’ perceived pro-Palestinian tilt and mounting anti-Semitism in France, but Chirac has joined an international chorus in praise of Israel’s plan to quit the Gaza Strip this summer.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
