Israeli lawmakers welcome France's Sarkozy victory of presidential voting

The election of Nicolas Sarkozy as France's new president was well-received in Israel, with lawmakers calling the French politician "a friend of Israel," Israeli daily the Jerusalem Post reported Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert congratulated the French people on the election of Sarkozy as the next President of France on Sunday night.

In a statement issued by his office on Monday, Olmert expressed his confidence that Israel's relations with France will strengthen during Sarkozy's term in office.

Israeli Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres welcomed Sarkozy's friendship, saying that the new president's victory declaration that a European Union-like treaty would be formed in the Middle East was a "very interesting" suggestion.

The opposition leader, Chairman of Israel's Likud party Binyamin Netanyahu, too, hailed Sarkozy's victory, calling it a good news for Israeli-French relations.

"Sarkozy is a friend of Israel and a personal friend of mine, he wants to help Israel achieve true peace, and he understands our security needs well," Netanyahu was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Israeli media also seem to have good impressions of the French president-elect.

Up Front, a weekly magazine of the Jerusalem Post, published its exclusive interview with Sarkozy on Friday.

The magazine underlined Sarkozy's Jewish background by saying that Sarkozy, whose father is Hungarian, has been something of an adopted son of Israel, due to his Jewish background -- his mother had a Jewish father.

Sarkozy, of the right-wing Union for a Popular Movement, won the French presidential run-off on Sunday, scoring an easy victory over Segolene Royal of the left-wing Socialist Party.

Source: Xinhua