ANGRY PALARABS ATTACK THE CAR OF FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER IN GAZA
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110121/wl_nm/us_palestinians_gaza_france
GAZA (Reuters) – A crowd of angry Palestinians mobbed the car of French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie as she toured the Gaza Strip on Friday, in a protest her spokeswoman said was sparked by a misunderstanding.
At one stage, men, women and children lay down in the road to block her convoy. Later, eggs and shoes were hurled at the minister’s jeep and demonstrators banged on it with their fists, yelling at the minister to leave Gaza.
Reuters – Relatives of Palestinians being held in Israeli jails try to block French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie … The tiny Palestinian enclave is controlled by the Islamist group Hamas, whose security forces eventually intervened to make sure Alliot-Marie could continue her trip unhindered.
The protesters were relatives of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons who said they were furious over comments attributed to the minister a day earlier when she met the parents of an Israeli soldier being held captive by Hamas.
After the meeting, an Arab-language Israeli radio quoted Alliot-Marie as saying the continued detention of Gilad Shalit, seized by Palestinian fighters in 2006, was a “war crime.”
A French spokeswoman told Reuters: “The minister was misquoted by Israeli media over the Shalit issue.” French reporters traveling with Alliot-Marie said the term “war crime” was actually used by Shalit’s father, not her.
Dozens of Palestinians, many brandishing photographs of their imprisoned sons and husbands, briefly prevented Alliot-Marie from leaving a hospital that was badly damaged during a 2009 Israeli-offensive and which France is rebuilding.
“Get out of Gaza!” read one banner. “There is one Gilad Shalit, but also 7,000 Palestinian prisoners,” said another.
“FRANCE CARES FOR GAZA”
It was a rare visit to Gaza by a foreign dignitary, with most government officials preferring to skip the coastal enclave and travel instead to the West Bank, which is run by Hamas’s political rival — the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
Alliot-Marie is making her first trip to the region since being appointed foreign minister last year.
On Thursday, she met the parents of Shalit, who has dual French-Israeli nationality. He is believed to be still alive, but Hamas has denied him any contact with the outside world.
Germany has tried for months to broker a deal to secure Shalit’s release in return for the liberation of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, but the negotiations appear to be in deadlock.
Alliot-Marie did not refer to the issue on Friday, but instead made a short speech to reporters saying France remained committed to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“France cares for Gaza. France will not abandon Gaza,” she said, adding: “I stress to you France’s determination to achieve a dual goal — establishing a Palestinian state and guaranteeing the security of Israel.”
Speaking in French, she also urged Israel to end its partial blockade of Gaza, saying it fed the violence and generated poverty. Israel has said it will not remove restrictions until Shalit is released.
U.S.-led peace talks between West Bank Palestinian leaders and Israel are at a standstill, with the Palestinians refusing to return to negotiations until Israel halts settlement building on occupied territory. Hamas has not recognized Israel and is not a part of the peace process.
(Writing by Crispian Balmer; editing by Elizabeth Fullerton)
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