FRANCE: The various crises afflicting the Middle East are all interlinked, and "the interminable Israeli-Palestinian conflict" is at the heart of the problem, French President Jacques Chirac said yesterday.
Painting a bleak picture of the region, Mr Chirac said violence might get out of control unless the peace process was revived, and called on Iran and Syria to end their international isolation.
"Everyone can clearly see that in the Middle East, the fracture lines join up and the crises grow," the president told an annual gathering of French ambassadors, saying the key issue was the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Over and above these clashes, there is a bigger danger, that of a divorce between worlds. East against West, Islam against Christianity, rich against poor," he added.
Mr Chirac, who has always tried to maintain strong ties with the Arab world, said he wanted a rapid meeting of the quartet of Middle East peace brokers - the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia - to look at ways of resuming talks.
"To resign oneself to the status quo is to risk being trapped in a cycle of violence which will get out of control. Israel legitimately aspires to security, but security does not go without justice," he added.
The president said fighting between Israel and Hizbullah had undone 15 years of hard work rebuilding the Lebanese economy, and called for a "vast outpouring of solidarity" at a planned international conference for Lebanon.
"The gamble for peace and security also concerns Iran and Syria," said Mr Chirac. Iran was "a great country" which should negotiate with world powers over its nuclear ambitions.
"Iran will not find security in the development of hidden [ nuclear] programmes, but in its full immersion in the heart of the international community," he said.
"Once again, I urge Tehran to send the necessary signals to create the conditions for trust. There is always room for dialogue," he added.
Turning to Syria, Mr Chirac said it should "abandon its insular mentality". The French president used to have a good rapport with Syrian leaders, but this was dealt a blow by the assassination last year of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, a close friend. The killing was blamed on pro-Syrian agents.
"[ Syria] has the calling to retake its place at the table of nations, respecting the international legality and sovereignty of its neighbours. The Middle East needs Syria to be working actively for peace and stability in the region," he said.