France steps gingerly into Israel-Palestinian peace void

PARIS: The international community committed Friday to try and push Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace talks under a French-led initiative, despite a decidedly lukewarm reaction from Washington and hostility from Israel.

Indirect peace talks between the two sides collapsed more than two years ago, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault warned that the diplomatic void meant the prospect of a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict was in “serious danger.”

He repeated France’s wish to organise an international conference, with both the Israelis and the Palestinians, before the end of the year.

Neither Israeli nor Palestinian representatives attended the talks in the French capital aimed at laying the ground for a fullyfledged peace conference to be held by the end of the year.

The Palestinians hailed the Paris meeting as a “very significant step” toward peace that sent a clear message to Israel about its ongoing occupation of lands they want for a future state.

But Israel lashed out, saying the initiative would only strengthen the Palestinians’ hand and would go down in history as having “pushed peace further away.”

At the meeting, representatives from 28 countries, the Arab League, European Union and United Nations discussed ways in which the international community could “help advance the prospects for peace, including by providing meaningful incentives to the parties to make peace,” according to a joint statement.

But few believe genuine progress will be made.

Despite a widespread sense of scepticism that the French initiative will succeed where so many others have failed, Ayrault said the world could not “fold its arms and do nothing.” — AFP