The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy told Israel today to share
sovereignty over Jerusalem with the Palestinians and to stop building
settlements in the occupied territories.

In an address to the
Israeli parliament, or Knesset, Sarkozy also promised France’s support
in helping to halt Iran’s nuclear programme and he praised Israel’s
democracy, comments for which he won applause.

However, he also
spoke strongly about what he expected of Israel as part of the peace
process with the Palestinians. “There cannot be peace without an
immediate and complete halt to settlement,” he said. “There cannot be
peace without recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of two states and
the guarantee of free access to the holy places for all religions.”

Although
his comments do not mark a change in French policy towards the Middle
East, they were nonetheless unusually frank for a Knesset address and
went a long way further than a similar speech at the Israeli parliament
last month by the US president, George Bush.

Although the US
roadmap, which is still the basis of the current peace talks, requires
Israel to halt all settlement activity, the government continues to
authorise construction in east Jerusalem and West Bank settlements,
provoking criticism from the Palestinians.

Sarkozy also called on the Palestinians to do more to tackle militant violence, one of their main roadmap requirements.

The
French leader also promised Israel diplomatic support to counter Iran’s
nuclear ambitions. “France is determined to pursue, with its partners,
a policy of progressively tougher sanctions,” he said. “An Iran
equipped with nuclear weapons is unacceptable for my country.”

During
his three-day visit, Sarkozy will hold talks with the Israeli prime
minister, Ehud Olmert, and with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud
Abbas. Olmert is due at a conference in Paris next month, where Sarkozy
hopes he will meet the Syrian president, Bashar Assad.