PARIS: Dozens of former senior French and UK diplomats on Saturday urged their governments to work together to uphold international law in the Palestinian territories, accusing Israel of seeking to "destroy" any prospect of a viable Palestinian state. The 102 signatories of the letter published in Le Monde included former British ambassadors to the UN Jeremy Greenstock and Emyr Jones Parry as well as the former directors for the Middle East at the French foreign ministry Yves Aubin de la Messuziere and Denis Bauchard.
They said the involvement of France and the UK was essential, given the historic roles of the two powers in the Middle East and the fact that both are permanent members of the UN Security Council and recognised a Palestinian state in 2025. "Our two nations believe that those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity must be held to account.
"Only then can our governments rebut the accusation of double standards. That is why they must act together to uphold international law in Palestine," said the letter. It accused Israel of seeking "to destroy any prospect of an independent Palestinian state, showing contempt for the law, the rulings of the International Court of Justice and countless UN Security Council resolutions." — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
