Source: Associated Press
Nov 13, 2006
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin told a gathering of the World Jewish Congress in Paris on Sunday that his nation "stands resolutely at the side of Israel."
However, Villepin went on to criticize ongoing Israeli military overflights in Lebanon, despite the fact that they remain necessary for Israel to monitor possible arms transfers to Hizb'allah.
French-led UN forces and the Lebanese government have failed to fully impose an arms embargo on Hizb'allah, as stipulated in the UN resolution that ended the summer's Lebanon war.
UN officials have admitted that Hizb'allah is still receiving arms shipments via Syria, and as such Israel maintains that it is crucial someone monitor the situation.
Villepin further threatened Israel's security when he insisted that the Jewish state's future well being is tied to a land-for-peace resolution to its conflict with the Palestinian Arabs.