The outgoing French president says his country’s endorsement of the two-state solution will remain intact, regardless of who his successor may be.
French President Francois Hollande said on Wednesday that France will not change its commitment to a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA), not even when he is out of office,.
“This is the French position and I’m sure it won’t change,” Hollande said, AFP reported. He was addressing an event on Wednesday evening that was hosted by CRIF, an all-encompassing organization representing the French Jewish communities.
A two-state solution is the only way to guarantee that Israel remains a “pluralist and democratic society,” Hollande claimed.
In January, France tried jumpstarting the implementation of the two-state solution by sponsoring an international summit in Paris. It called for Israel to make concessions to the PA in order to facilitate the creation of a Palestinian state.
Hollande’s remarks were made approximately two months preceding the upcoming presidential elections. Polls indicate athat Hollande’s successor will likely be one of two populist candidates, Francois Fillon and Marie Le Pen.
Le Pen is looking to shake the status quo of French government policy, particularly with regard to the absorption of migrants and refugees from the Middle East.
By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News