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The article focuses on French President Jacques Chirac's proposal to aid Palestinians via an international mechanism such as the World Bank. The European Union (EU) will take the lead in working out the details of the economic assistance. Washington has been Israel's foremost ally in its campaign to isolate Hamas, even from its Arab and Muslim environment. Chirac insisted that aid must be channelled through institutions independent of the Palestinian government. France has an earlier history of interfering in order to end Palestinian crises.

The article reports on the controversy over a law upheld by the French Parliament that refers to the country's painful colonial past as "a positive enterprise." The law requires that "school programs recognize in particular the positive character of the French overseas presence, notably in North Africa." This has been considered offensive not only to those who live in the countries formerly colonized by France, but also to current French citizens with roots there, who have learned from their families to be proud of the noble and just resistance to French colonialism.

The article presents information on the October 2005 riots which rocked France. Over a period of three weeks, depressed French suburbs with large immigrant Arab and African populations were the scene of intense riots. The clashes were triggered by the tragic death of two Muslim boys while fleeing from police. The Arab and African population live in horrible conditions in ugly high-rise housing projects where education is substandard. Not even President Jacques Chirac denies that employers refuse to consider job applicants who have a non-French name. The French parliament's approval of extending the state of emergency indicates that the government fears the riots could flare up again.