French Mideast peace efforts endorsed
Print Edition
TOP diplomats from around the world yesterday endorsed France’s efforts to revive long-dormant Mideast peace talks aimed at “fully ending” Israel’s half-century-old occupation of lands the Palestinians seek for their state.
France wants to set up an international conference by the end of the year that would restart negotiations, despite slim chances of bridging wide gaps between Israelis and Palestinians.
France has said it felt compelled to act because the opportunities for setting up a Palestinian state alongside Israel are slipping away, while the situation in the region is deteriorating.
Israel has rebuffed the French plan, saying only direct negotiations could work. Palestinian officials yesterday said the French efforts were too vague.
Neither side was represented at the Paris gathering. The meeting was attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as well as representatives from the Arab League, the European Union and key Arab states.
A joint statement called on the two sides to genuinely commit to the two-state solution and create conditions for “fully ending the Israeli occupation that began in 1967.”
It said participants were “alarmed that actions on the ground, in particular continued acts of violence and ongoing settlement activity are dangerously imperiling the prospects for a two-state solution.”
The gathering agreed to set up teams by the end of the month to work on economic and security incentives for the Israelis and Palestinians for reaching a deal.
In his opening speech, French President Francois Hollande said that “our initiative aims at giving them guarantees that the peace will be solid, sustainable and under international supervision.”
Kerry was non-committal when asked if he would support an international conference later this year, with Israelis and Palestinians attending.
“We’re just starting, let’s get into the conversations,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rebuffed the French initiative. Netanyahu spokesman David Keyes said yesterday that “peace is not going to come through imposition.”
Israel has indicated an openness recently to some elements of an Arab peace proposal from 2002, which promised peace and recognition of Israel by the Arab and Muslim world in exchange for the creation of a Palestinian state.
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