PARIS - Five French Christian organisations on Wednesday called on the French government to end what they termed the "impunity accorded to the state of Israel" over its treatment of the Palestinians. In an open letter the five groups, including Secours Catholique, called on Prime Minister Francois Fillon to "exert pressure... so that Israel respects the basic rights of the Palestinians."
The groups urged the "French government to act, to put an end to the impunity accorded to the state of Israel as regards the violation of international law," the letter said.
The other groups that signed up to the letter were Cimade, an ecumenical organisation; Acat-France, which campaigns against torture; Defap, a Protestant evangelical group; and les Amis de Sabeel-France.
The organisations said Palestinian Christians had approached them for help because of a military decree issued by the Israeli government, which could lead to the eviction of thousands of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank.
In April, Jordan joined Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad and the Arab League in condemning Israel over the order.
The Israeli military has insisted the new order merely formalised existing procedures and that there will be no new wave of deportations from the territory.
The Christian groups said they considered the observance of international law to be the only way of achieving a "just and fair peace in the Middle East.
They also called for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the legal basis for the EU's relations with Israel.
