Israel boycott unacceptable, says Sarkozy
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Monday that any boycott of Israel is unacceptable. Sarkozy made these remarks in Jerusalem against the backdrop of the controversy involving the French telecom giant Orange.
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“I do not want to go into the controversy, I know that Orange CEO Stéphane Richard will be here to explain," Sarkozy told reporters during a visit to Jerusalem.
The controversy surrounding Orange erupted last Wednesday when Richard said in Cairo that his firm is seeking to withdraw its brand from Israel.
His remarks didn’t go down well with Israel which accused him of bowing to a Palestinian-led boycott campaign.
Richard tried to limit the damage, insisting there was no political motivation behind the announcement.
His comments came just four weeks after the publication of a report accusing Orange of indirectly supporting settlement activity through its relationship with Partner Communications.
Partner is Israel's second largest mobile operator which has a licence to use the Orange brand.
The report, compiled by French NGOs and trade unions, accuses Partner of building on confiscated Palestinian land.
It urges Orange to cut business ties and publicly declare its desire to avoid contributing to the economic viability of the settlements.
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