Yesterday Jacques Chirac took a break from denying French antisemitism, to call for the “international community” to “impose” peace on the Middle East: Chirac hits out at international community’s inaction in Middle East.

PARIS (AFP) - French President Jacques Chirac sharply criticized the international community’s failure to help put an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying the world should “impose” peace talks.

“For how long will the world accept this tragedy that is crushing lives and peoples, that does damage to the development and stability of a region that is essential for the security of all, that is creating a gulf of resentment and lack of understanding between cultures, civilizations, religions?

”It is essential that the international community assume its responsibilities,“ Chirac told his country’s ambassadors and top diplomats, closing a two-day meeting of the envoys in Paris.

The French leader said the world must ”take stock of the disastrous results of its inaction and free itself of its false caution“ with respect to the moribund Middle East peace process.

He urged the international community to ”finally say in plain language that terrorism and denial of others are reprehensible and should be condemned and fought without weakness, but that occupation and colonization are unacceptable and must stop.”