Paris - French President Nicolas Sarkozy opened up the Paris international donors' conference for Palestine on Monday by calling for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state before the end of 2008. The donors conference is aimed at "the creation, before the end of 2008, of an independent, democratic, viable Palestinian state living in peace and security beside Israel," Sarkozy told the representatives of 86 nations congregated in the French capital.
That state would extend "from Gaza to the West Bank to East Jerusalem," he said.
Sarkozy issued a challenged to the radical Islamic group Hamas, which governs Gaza.
"Peace will not be made without Gaza," he said. "And peace will not be made with groups that do not recognize Israel. This is unacceptable."
The French president also called on Israel to immediately halt the constructions of colonies on Palestinian territory.
"It is time to put an end to the occupation," Sarkozy said. "It is time to allow an entire people to regain their dignity."
Sarkozy proposed, "when the time is ripe," the deployment of an international police force to support Palestinian security forces in keeping the peace in the region.
Sarkozy also used the occasion to announce that France would contribute 300 million dollars "to aid in the creation of a Palestinian state."
Paris is to provide 25 million euros (36.6 million dollars) as of Tuesday in budgetary aid "so that the Palestinians can resolve their most urgent needs beginning in January."
