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Sarkozy to Knesset: Share Jerusalem with Palestinians By Jonathan Lis and Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondents, and Agencies Tags: palestinians, nicolas sarkozy  French President Nicolas Sarkozy said yesterday that there could be no Mideast peace unless Israel drops its refusal to cede sovereignty over parts of Jerusalem claimed by the Palestinians. Speaking to a packed Knesset plenum at a special session in his honor, Sarkozy called on Israel to put an end to West Bank settlement. But he tempered his address by assuring Israel that it could count on France's support in halting Iran's nuclear program. "A nuclear Iran is intolerable," Sarkozy said. "Anyone trying to destroy Israel will find France blocking the way." Advertisement He vowed that France would always defend Israel in the face of any existential threat - a direct reference to Iran and its nuclear program, which he called unacceptable. Amid applause from the assembled politicians, judicial leaders and assorted dignitaries, Sarkozy declared: "Israel must know it is not alone in the battle against Iran's nuclear ambitions." In his speech, Sarkozy assured Israel it was not alone in its concerns about Iran's nuclear military program and said confronting Tehran requires a united international front. France takes on the presidency of the European Union on July 1. "France is determined to pursue, with its partners, a policy of progressively tougher sanctions," he said in French. "An Iran equipped with nuclear weapons is unacceptable for my country." Turning to the issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the French president was not sparing in his criticism of Israel's conduct vis-a-vis the Palestinians. He said that the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of both Israel and a Palestinian state was a condition for peace. The Palestinians, he said, "have the right to a viable state of their own." He added that such a state would "ensure Israel's security." He urged Israel to establish a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. "We must tell friends the truth, and the truth is that Israel's security can never be assured unless an independent, modern, democratic and viable Palestinian state is established finally beside it," he said. He also called on Israel to stop the construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank settlements, and said that there would be "no peace without a solution to the problem of the Palestinian refugees," a key sticking point in negotiations between the two sides. The French leader further urged Israel to "encourage legislation that would entice settlers to leave the West Bank." "There will be no peace if the Palestinians do not fight terrorism," Sarkozy said. "Each side has to make an effort. Peace is not possible if the Palestinians cannot move about freely." He praised Israeli democracy and said the 20th century had seen Israel's establishment. "My dear friends, the 21st century has arrived and I say this will be the century of peace for Israel." Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni, received a red carpet reception as they arrived at the Knesset, and as he stood to speak, the French leader received a standing ovation from lawmakers. In his Knesset address, the first by a French president since Francois Mitterrand in 1982, Sarkozy said that his nation's relations with the Jewish people had enriched French culture. "I didn't come here to preach morality to you," Sarkozy said after his address, sitting down beside Knesset Speaker Speaker Dalia Itzik and President Shimon Peres. Sarkozy's speech was interrupted by applause several times and cries of "bravo" were heard from the gallery, which was crowded with dignitaries, former ministers and MKs. Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke before the visitor, seemed to anticipate Sarkozy's statements. Netanyahu emphasized that Israel would not return to the '67 borders or withdraw from the Golan Heights. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert applauded Sarkozy for his "determination to root out anti-Semitism in France," and said that ties between France and Israel had seen a "revival under your leadership." "Your words of support for Israel touch our hearts," he said. Sarkozy, who arrived Sunday for a three-day trip accompanied by an entourage of some 100 businessman, cabinet ministers and Jewish leaders, spent the first part of yesterday morning at the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum, accompanied by Bruni and Peres. At the formal dinner for Sarkozy at the president's residence, Sarkozy at the last moment put aside his planned speech and instead complimented Peres, citing the president's statement on arriving from Poland to Israel that he "had seen a new light." "Mr. President, when my wife Carla and I looked out from our hotel window on Jerusalem, I saw the sun for the first time in Jerusalem." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Gilad's tale VIDEO: U.S. kids read abducted soldier's story of co-existence. Leaving Torah behind Study finds religion is not very important to American Jews.

Read & React Cabinet to vote Sun. on Hezbollah deal, says wife of abducted soldier Responses: 268 Editorial: We must pay the high price for the return of Gilad Shalit Responses: 101 Gaza truce shaken as four Qassams slam in Negev Responses: 224 Poll: 77% of Israeli Arabs would rather live in Israel than in any other country Responses: 225 Border Policeman dies from self-inflicted shot at Sarkozy farewell Responses: 141 More Headlines 00:09 Cabinet to vote Sun. on Hezbollah deal, says wife of abducted soldier 23:43 Border cop dies from self-inflicted shot at Sarkozy farewell 02:03 Negotiator heading back to Cairo for indirect talks on Shalit 22:52 VIDEO: Two years after his kidnap, U.S. kids read Gilad Shalit's tale of co-existence 21:12 Olmert: Israel mulling response to renewed Qassam fire 20:33 World Wealth Report: People in Israel get richer faster 18:46 Religion is not very important to American Jews 01:38 Professor Gabriela Shalev nominated as new UN ambassador 22:51 Paris prosecutors open probe into beating of Jewish teen 00:05 Knesset approves law allowing property owners to kill intruders 18:53 Hamas prisoners freed in West Bank, despite PA pledge to Israel 20:57 Lawyers ask Spanish court to charge 4 alleged ex-guards at Nazi camps Previous Editions Select Day 24 jun 23 jun 22 jun 20 jun 19 jun 18 jun 17 jun 16 jun 15 jun 13 jun 12 jun 11 jun

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