As Israel is busy finding favor in the eyes of the Americans, criticism against the Israeli government comes from an unexpected source: French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner slammed Israel for its ongoing building in the territories and said that "Israel is not interested in a peace agreement in the Middle East".

Kouchner made his comment during an interview on the French 'Inter-Radio', leading up to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's upcoming visit to France on his way back from the United States. Kouchner said during the interview that he does not expect any new developments in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in the near future.

"What really hurts me is that this time, there was genuine support for peace within Israel. There was a strong leftist government and a desire for lasting peace. It appears to me – and I hope I am totally wrong – that this desire has faded, as if people do not believe in it anymore".

It should be noted that Sarkozy's government has invested much effort in maintaining good relations with Israel in order to have a greater influence on the peace process in the Middle East.

Ever since Netanyahu's election, however, Sarkozy and his ministers have voiced constant criticism against Israel's presence in the territories. Kouchner stressed during the interview that the continuous building in the territories is the main cause of the chilled relations between Israel and France. "There is a vast difference of opinion on this subject", Kouchner said.