On his first state visit to Israel, Sarkozy called for the formation of a Palestinian state, saying the new state of Palestine could be formed "tomorrow". Sarkozy said that he believes the two-state solution (Israel and Palestine as independent states) is the best way to provide lasting peace and security to Israel.
It was a bold move for him to take. His visit was the first to Israel by a French president in more than a decade. His predecessor, Jacques Chirac, was regarded as being pro-Arab during his time as president - a position that the Israelis were not always happy with.
Earlier in the week, Sarkozy announced his intention to bring France back into NATO's military command structure. Despite being a founding member of NATO, France withdrew their military support in the 1960's. The independence of their military from NATO command (unlike most other European nations) has been a long-standing area of national pride for the French.
The NATO announcement came as part of a package of military reforms Sarkozy proposed. France has Europe's largest army. Sarkozy wants to begin a large-scale modernization program that will reduce the overall size of the military, but make it more high-tech. He also wants the French military to focus more on anti-terrorism operations.
France plans to close several of its remaining military outposts in Africa, but will open a new base in Abu Dhabi in the Persian Gulf.
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