By IRNA,
Paris : Israel and the Palestinians have disagreed over the final declaration of the Mediterranean summit held in Paris, France’s foreign minister said.
Bernard Kouchner said the wording of the founding text of the Union for the Mediterranean would have to be changed.
There were difficulties with the use of the term “national and democratic state” to describe Israel, he said.
Kouchner said the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians related to the use of the term “national and democratic state” to describe Israel.
He noted that this “entails difficulties in terms of refugee return, Jewish or non-Jewish state”.
“There are words, or phrasing of words that are not suitable because they invoke a historical legacy, a legacy of tragedy and murder also,” the minister said.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said his side “categorically opposed” wording in the text proposed by Israel that referred to a “state of the Jewish people”.
“It was out of the question for us to accept this,” Maliki said.