The French Connector
By Christian Malar • Aug 3rd, 2009Jacques Chirac, the former president of France, tells Christian Malar
about his experiences dealing with the Middle East, the consequences
of September 11 and his views on the Gulf war.
It has been 61 years since the formation of Israel. Is peace possible between Palestine and Israel in the Middle East today?
War and clashes bring about only hardships and no solutions. Officials should begin to understand that reality.
It progresses, it pervades slowly and today we ought to persuade them even more. There will be no solution for the Middle East without mutual respect for one another.
It is obvious that Israel has the right to claim territory. It is also obvious that the Palestinians have the right to a homeland and thus we must relentlessly push for such a solution.
You knew Yasser Arafat well. Do you think he missed the opportunity to bring peace to the region?
It is very easy to rewrite history. What I know is that Yasser Arafat‘
s thinking evolved and that he very gradually became a man of peace. I believe in his final days, he started to share my perspective.
Can you recall a notable moment you shared with Yasser Arafat?
I had many notable moments with Yasser Arafat. I can talk about worst and best moments with him. We did not always approve of his views and I can even say that we clashed very often. However, things evolved, and in his final years, our lines of thoughts concurred. It is with great emotion that I held his hand when he was dying.
