Home | China | World | Business French FM Calls on Israel to Change Policy MON, FEB 25, 2002     French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine said Sunday he hoped that Israel would change its policy to find solutions to get the Middle East region out of the 17-month crisis. "The strategy of (Israeli Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon to deal the problem by repression will lead to a deadlock," said Vedrine in an interview published in French daily Parisien. "I wish that Sharon will be convinced to stop imposing impossible preconditions for the reopening of political negotiations," said Vedrine, adding that France recognizes that Israel has the right to combat terrorism. "Within the Israeli society, there appears questioning (over Sharon's policy) in the political circle, in the camp for peace, even in the army itself. Maybe this questioning will open a way for a change of policy. We encourage it very strongly," said the French minister. Vedrine also rejected Sharon's accusations of growing anti-Semitism in France. On Wednesday, Sharon told American-Jewish leaders in Jerusalem that Israel was "looking with great worry at the situation in France where there are 700,000 Jews who are facing a very dangerous wave of anti-Semitism." Editor:Zhong Source:Xinhua Recommend to your friend email:    China Central Television,All Rights Reserved