Netanyahu heads to Paris for talks with French leaders

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew off Wednesday for a two-day visit to France for talks with President Francois Hollande with the Iranian nuclear programme topping the agenda. The trip is important because it is Netanyahu's "first opportunity to talk with President Hollande, and he hopes to build a good working relationship with the French leader," a source close to the Israeli leader told AFP. Since taking office five months ago, Hollande has only spoken to Netanyahu by telephone, whereas he has already twice met Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas -- both times in Paris. The last time Netanyahu visited Paris was in May 2011 when he sought to drum up French support to head off a Palestinian initiative to seek full state membership at the United Nations, which eventually stalled at the Security Council. This time, their talks were expected to focus squarely on the international standoff over Iran's nuclear programme, Israeli officials said. A diplomatic adviser to the French president said Netanyahu's visit would also focus on deepening bilateral ties, relaunching the Middle East peace process and the upheavals in the Arab world. Peace talks with the Palestinians have been on ice for more than two years, and a source close to Netanyahu confirmed the two men would also touch on ways to revive it. Netanyahu is due to have a working lunch with the French leader after his arrival Wednesday. Later in the day, he will also meet Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in what is his first visit to Paris since Hollande took office in May. On Thursday, Netanyahu is to travel to Toulouse to attend a memorial ceremony for three children and a French-Israeli teacher at a Jewish school who were shot dead by a gunman who also killed soldiers of North African origin.