French Speaker: Israel Must Lead Way in Talks With PA

Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin met with the speaker of France's National Assembly, Claude Bartolone, on Monday, discussing Middle East issues and the situation of Jews in France. Bartolone expressed worry over the the stalled negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, saying that the concern over other regional issues, such as Iran, Syria, and Egypt, was no reason to ignore the Palestinian issue.

Bartolane said that it was Israel that needed to “be the big one” in the negotiations. “Israel is the only free country in the region and thus the responsibility is on its shoulders. The current economic crisis in the PA and the disorder in the region require us to take bold steps and not wait for the renewal of the process, but to push the current process through and seek solutions.”