“France will engage in the coming weeks in the preparation of an international conference bringing together the parties and their main partners, American, European, Arab, notably to preserve and make happen the two-state solution,” French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius said.
A French diplomatic source added that Paris intended to launch this conference by the summer.
Shortly after the announcement, the Palestinian Authority’s Negotiations Affairs Department welcomed the initiative in a Twitter post and stated that they would be contacting France shortly.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz late Friday quoted a senior Israeli official rejecting Fabius’ warning that France would recognise a Palestinian state if the peace efforts failed.
The Middle East peace process has stalled because of differences over borders and settlements. There have been no serious moves to resume the peace talks between Israel and Palestinians.
If this last attempt at finding a solution hits a wall, “well ... in this case, we need to face our responsibilities by recognising the Palestinian state,” Fabius said.
Solution must be found
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Fabius added that France had a responsibility to try to keep up efforts to find a solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
“We see that unfortunately colonisation continues and that recently, the Israeli Prime Minister went so far as to reproach the UN Secretary General for encouraging terrorism on the basis that he had reminded of colonisation’s illegality and asked that it cease,” Fabius said.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday described Israel’s settlements as “provocative acts” that raised questions about its commitment to a two-state solution, nearly 50 years after occupying lands the Palestinians seek for a state.
The United States, European Union and the United Nations have issued unusually stern criticism of Israel, provoking a sharp response from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and raising Palestinians’ hopes of steps against their neighbour.
(-FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
-france24.com
20/1/16
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Israel rejected Friday a new peace bid by France to revive the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, according to a report from the Israeli daily Haaretz...
ReplyDeleteFrench Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced on Friday that France will try to convene an international conference aiming to "bring about the two-state solution" to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Speaking in Paris at a conference of French diplomats, Fabius said that if the efforts to kick-start the negotiations reached a deadlock, Paris would recognize a Palestinian state.
Israel reacted quickly, rejecting the offer. "This (French) statement is an incentive for the Palestinians to bring about a dead end," a senior official in Jerusalem told the Haaretz newspaper.....http://www.eletos.international/2016/01/israel-rejects-french-peace-bid.html
30/1/16