While Lerman reiterated that the Israeli government still had reservations about the French approach, he took note of the parallel effort to engage moderate Arab countries in a process to help bring the Palestinian Authority back to the negotiating table.
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The most recent round of talks broke down two years ago. It was endorsed and supported by all the Arab countries and all the Islamic countries.
Although the concluding communique made no reference to deadlines for negotiations, the French foreign minister said there was a need for a defined time framework, and that numerous participants mentioned this during the meeting.
Israel is fiercely opposed to the French initiative. Kerry, however, demurred when reporters asked if he backed another conference this year with Israelis and Palestinians participating.
“The only way to make peace is by means of direct negotiations without prior conditions, with the full backing of the Arab states and not by means of a conference in Paris”.
Mogherini said that the European Union is working within the Quartet with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Arab League to create a framework “that could, first of all, save the perspective of the two states and, secondly, recreate conditions for a pece process”.
A senior French diplomat told Reuters the goal was “to get Israelis and Palestinians back together after the USA elections” in November 2016.
“There’s war in Syria and in Iraq and terror in the regions. This is being done in the absence of Israelis and Palestinians, neither of whom have been invited”.
All indications in Israel seem to point to the fact that Netanyahu may not have many days in office and a new election is a possibility, a step that could cripple the objective of the Paris conference. That time never arrived.
Be Civil – It’s OK to have a difference in opinion but there’s no need to be a jerk. The liberal Israeli daily has statements from French President Francois Hollande and more details on the proceedings. Neither Israel nor the Palestinians were invited, however, as the conference was considered a first step toward what the joint communique called “the prospect of convening before the end of the year an worldwide conference”.
President François Hollande (centre) of France and French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.
A final communiqué warned that the existing status quo was not sustainable.
The Palestinians seek to establish a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967.
Some groups would strive to creating economic incentives and security guarantees to convince both sides to return to talks. Palestinians see the US heavily favoring Israel and want an effort with more world powers involved, like last year’s Iran nuclear diplomacy.
Still, Foreign Minister Riad Malki expressed disappointment.
When Jerusalem understood that the conference was indeed going to happen and that the French had managed to get the representatives of the Security Council on their side, it was too late.
Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter has praised the French-led effort to revive the Middle East peace process and has offered Swiss support towards promoting regional security.
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Is this a sort of facilitation procedure that leads to direct negotiations and somehow eases the way for reluctant parties, specifically reluctant Palestinian parties, to actually engage in direct negotiations without preconditions?
