France appeals to Netanyahu to deal with Arafat

French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin said that he was concerned about Israel's policy toward the Palestinians and urged Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take steps to put the peace process back on track.

"The deep friendship I feel for the state of Israel....obliges me to reveal my concerns about the policy conducted today by Israel's leaders," Jospin said at the annual dinner of the council of Jewish institution in France (CRIF), Akhbar El-Youm weekly reported.

"We can't ask the Palestinian Authority to show proof of good will...without also giving it reason to hope for an effective resumption of the peace process, without offering prospect of political negotiations " Jospin said.