CAIRO: Before making quick visits to Jordan and Egypt, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said that a Palestinian state could be created "within weeks Wednesday morning while talking at the French cultural center in Jerusalem. The minister said, "A Palestinian state should be created in the coming weeks . I seriously felt that something is happening between Israelis and Palestinians, as he wrapped up a three-day trip where he met with Palestinian and Israeli officials. Kouchner also said that the upcoming US-sponsored peace conference in November was an "opportunity that must not be missed. The French foreign minister then headed to Jordan, where he met with King Abdallah II, before making a quick visit to Egypt Wednesday evening to meet President Hosni Mubarak and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa. Although the French Foreign Ministry previously said that he would meet with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Aboul Gheit, an official from the Foreign Ministry told Daily News Egypt that a meeting between the two was not on the agenda for the day. Kouchner's Middle East tour included his first visit to Israel and Palestine in his role as foreign minister. "France's role is limited in the Palestinian/Israeli issue and its role is refused by the Israelis who consider France to be an anti-semitic country, political analyst Emad Gad from Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies told Daily News Egypt. For this reason, Gad derided Kouchner's comments about the creation of a Palestinian state so soon. "What kind of state is he talking about? Gad said, "Is it a temporary one like the Israelis want? Such a statement would have more weight if it came from the US Secretary of State (Condoleezza Rice). He is due to head out to Lebanon today ahead of their upcoming presidential elections Sept. 25 in an attempt to arbitrate in the political crisis gripping the country over how to pick a successor to Emile Lahoud. Lebanon, Gad said, is where France's role can be more paramount. "France's initial role is in Lebanon, because of the close ties it has with certain groups in the country. Even its role in Northern Africa has receded and in other issue in the Middle East, it is the American role that is more important, he said. Despite France's historical ties with Lebanon, it does not necessarily hold the key to lock the impasse, Gad continued. "Just because there is a connection, that doesn't mean it is the solution for Lebanon, he said, "Again, the United States has greater sway because of Iranian and Syrian involvement in Lebanon.
