Israel yesterday confirmed that it rejects the French initiative for peace and will not participate in a conference in Paris, local media reported.
An aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the French special envoy to the Middle East peace process, Pierre Vimont, that direct bilateral talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) are the only way to reach peace.
The Times of Israel reported a statement by Netanyahu’s office saying Vimont, who is visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories, met with acting Israel National Security Adviser Jacob Nagel and Netanyahu’s advisor Yitzhak Molcho.
Israel stops pretending there is a peace process and gets on with the annexation of Palestine https://t.co/lQaFD6DSOG
— No Drones Canada (@NoDronesCanada) November 8, 2016
The statement noted that Netanyahu’s aides told Vimont that the conference “greatly harms the possibilities for advancing the peace process” as it would allow the PA President Mahmoud Abbas to avoid resuming direct talks without preconditions.
“Israel is certain and expects that France will not advance a conference or process contradicting the State of Israel’s official position,” the statement added.
(MEMO)
