Hollande: Israeli settlements a 'threat'
French President Francois Hollande has warned of the "fragility" of the situation in the Middle East, citing "continued settlement-building" by Israel as a threat.
In a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris on Thursday, Hollande touched on a recent Quartet report which said "Israel should cease the policy of settlement construction and expansion."
"While the latest report from the Quartet shows the two-state solution is under threat by continued settlement-building, there is an urgent need to recreate a political perspective," Hollande said in a rare criticism of Israel.
Paris is already at odds with Tel Aviv over France's plans to revive stalled negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Hollande reiterated "commitment" to the scheme in his meeting with Abbas Thursday evening.
But Israel’s Foreign Ministry chief Dore Gold poured cold water on the plan, saying Tel Aviv will likely boycott an international conference on the Middle East conflict in Paris if it goes ahead later this year.
“We weren’t invited for the first round… I doubt we’ll be there for the second one because we have been very clear about our problems with this whole French scheme,” Gold said.
Israel has conditioned its participation in the planned conference to direct negotiations with the Palestinians who have rejected them.
Speaking to The Times of Israel on Friday, Gold doubled down on Israel’s criticism, saying “the French initiative unfortunately is an alternative to direct negotiations."
Palestinians say there is no point in direct talks with the Israelis before Tel Aviv ceases its settlement expansion in the occupied territories.
The US, European Union, Russia and the UN, which comprise the Quartet, condemned settlements in their report earlier this month, urging Tel Aviv to stop its policy of "designating land for exclusive Israeli use, and denying Palestinian development."
"This raises legitimate questions about Israel's long-term intentions, which are compounded by the statements of some Israeli ministers that there should never be a Palestinian state," it added.
Palestinians are seeking to create an independent state on the territories of the West Bank, East Jerusalem al-Quds, and the Gaza Strip.
Several Palestinian factions have also rejected the Paris meeting, saying instead of restoring their rights, the talks would only strengthen the Israeli occupation.
The last round of the so-called peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians collapsed in 2014.
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