France Says Plan to Send UN Observers to Palestine PrematureFrance said on Tuesday, December 19, that the proposal made by non-alliance countries to send United Nations observers to Palestinian territories is premature but can be applied in future.French Foreign Ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau said that the idea presented by non-alliance countries at the UN Security Council on Monday is still "alive." France abstained from the voting at the Security Council, which resulted in the failure of the move by the non-alliance countries, as a nine-vote qualified majority is required for adopting a resolution at the Security Council. Eight Security Council members voted for the move, and seven abstained. "We have chosen the stand which lets us have a better chance in future," said the spokesman. "We observed there did not exist an agreement on this question, especially in Israel and the Security Council." France supports the sending of UN military and police observers to the Palestinian territories, which were plunged into violent clashes since late September between Palestinians and Israelis. So far 344 people, 292 of them Palestinians, have been killed in the clashes. |
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