Dubai: Israel has reacted bitterly over French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner's statements over the weekend that foreign countries could soon recognise a defacto Palestinian state ahead of any negotiated agreement.
"The issue before us at the moment is the building of a reality: France is training Palestinian police, businesses are being created in the West Bank," Kouchner told France's Journal du Dimanche.
"It follows that one can envision the proclamation soon of a Palestinian state, and its immediate recognition by the international community, even before negotiating its borders," he said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was set to visit Paris on Sunday, as Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is pushing towards building infrastructure and institutions to make a de-facto Palestinian state feasible.
An Israeli official speaking to the press on condition of anonymity said that Kouchner's statements, "added fuel to the fire and make Palestinian compromises impossible."
