French FM engages in talks in Israel amid tense relations

France's foreign minister will travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Wednesday seeking to press Israel to engage diplomatically to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon after the U.S. presidential election is over.

"The United States plays an essential role in ending the Israeli-Arab conflict," Jean-Noel Barrot said on France 2 television when asked whether a win for former President Donald Trump could boost Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"We are alongside the U.S., notably on Lebanon, to propose peace formulas to ensure a lasting peace in the region."

Paris and Washington pushed for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in September, but those efforts fell through.

Since then, Washington has done little to raise pressure on Israel to end its operation in Lebanon.

Barrot said Paris would work with whoever won Tuesday's vote. He pointed to former U.S. Republican President Ronald Reagan's suspension of some weapons deliveries to Israel after its 1982 invasion of Lebanon as an example of how Washington could still do more.

"The war has lasted far too long and the use of force must give way to the use of dialogue and diplomacy," Barrot said.

The French minister's visit has little chance of ending in success. France's influence in the region is very weak. Furthermore, Emmanuel Macron's recent statements, which were hostile toward Israel, are unlikely to create a climate of trust with Israeli leaders.