The inaugural diplomatic appearance of the new French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, in an address to an audience of ambassadors to Paris on Monday, reflected the change that was expected in French foreign policy following the end of Jacques Chirac's 12-year rule. Sarkozy showed in his speech that he intends to differentiate himself from his predecessor, and France from the rest of the powers, first and foremost from the United States.

For Israelis, the most important part of Sarkozy's address was his statement that Iran's nuclear program is the central problem on the international agenda today. "An Iran armed with nuclear weapons is unacceptable," he said, calling for a diplomatic solution quickly "that will prevent the catastrophe of an Iranian nuclear weapon, or of the bombing of Iran."

Sarkozy's assessment is similar to the view of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his colleagues in the Israeli leadership, who have made similar statements and have presented the Iranian bomb as an international problem that requires an urgent diplomatic solution. Sarkozy has shown that he recognizes the seriousness of the Iranian threat and is willing to stand up to it, and is not trying to pass on the problem to Israel's doorstep.