Israel steps up anti-France campaign while Bush visit approaches

Pro-Palestine circles in France expressed fears that the current campaign Israel is launching against France through the help of Jewish Americans and support of U.S. President George W. Bush under alleged anti-Semitism falls within a meticulously-laid plan to practise pressures on the moderate French Mideast policies.

An activist of the France-Palestine-Solidarity organisation said the pro-Palestine circles in France smells outrageous pressures to compel the French government to ban the demonstrations supportive of the Palestinian people in France.

He expected the campaign to grow in the upcoming period to impinge upon a moderate France as regards the situation in the Middle East region, particularly after French President Jacques Chirac selected a figure representing the Arab community in France - Algerian-origin Tokia Saifi - in the new cabinet only a couple of weeks after she returned from Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat's headquarters before the Israeli house arrest on him was lifted.

Saifi is known for her support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and played an important role in her capacity as a member in the European Parliament in issuing a historic resolution recommending the 15 European Union (EU) countries to suspend the partnership agreement with Israel.

Chirac had warned Israel of the consequences of the propaganda campaign it is waging against France under the pretext that France is an anti-Semitic country.