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French Plan for Middle East Peace Talks Hits Israeli Opposition
(New York Times) Isabel Kershner - A new, French-led effort to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has gotten off to a contentious start as Israel is strongly opposed. After meeting with the French foreign minister in Jerusalem last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "I told him that the only way to advance a true peace between us and the Palestinians is by means of direct negotiations between us and them, without preconditions." He added: "They simply avoid negotiating with us as part of their desire to avoid resolving the root of the conflict, which is recognizing the nation state of the Jewish people, i.e., the State of Israel." Dore Gold, the director general of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the conference that France was trying to convene would "provide a new escape route for Abbas to avoid direct talks with Israel." Though France and Israel are allies, Gold said, "there is a disconnect on this issue." American-brokered talks collapsed in 2014. Since then, international players have been preoccupied with other issues, including the battle against the Islamic State.