French Foreign Minister, Dominique de Villepin, has called on both the Israelis and the Palestinians to fully implement the international roadmap to peace. The Israeli cabinet has voted in favour of the roadmap — for the first time officially recognising the Palestinians' right to statehood — but also passed a resolution denying Palestinian refugees their right of return. Mr de Villepin is touring the region, today meeting the Palestinian prime minister Abu Mazen and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
He says both sides must fulfil its part of the deal. "This is the moment in which the future is being created, this is the moment in which the roadmap is being drawn," he said. "This is the light that we have been wanting to shed on the creation of a Palestinian state. This is the moment in which the Palestinians need to live side by side peacefully with Israel, an Israel that needs to have it security guaranteed."
| If Dominique likes it, he must expect the Israelis to get really screwed... |
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