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Itongadol.- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday blasted a French initiative aimed at relaunching peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians as "distancing" the prospect of direct talks between the two sides.
The premier pledged that Israel is prepared to begin direct bilateral talks with the Palestinians "immediately, without preconditions."
"Israel adheres to the position that the best way to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is direct, bilateral negotiations," Netanyahu said in a statement.
"All other political initiatives distance the Palestinians from the negotiating table," he added.
Last Thursday, France announced that it will convene a summit on May 30 to discuss the parameters for an international peace conference to be held in the French capital in the second part of the year.
Neither Israel nor the Palestinians will be invited to the summit that is due to include some 30 countries and international organizations, though the two sides will be asked to join the peace conference.
The French initiative is one of at least two that are currently under the pen related to the decades-old conflict. Another is being spearheaded by the Palestinian Authority.
The Paris-led initiative would have the Security Council outline parameters of a two-state solution. US Democrats and Republicans alike, including Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton, oppose this approach and warn that imposing solutions would prove counterproductive.
The Palestinian draft would have the Security Council state it\’s opposition to Israel\’s settlement activity in the West Bank— a position held by each individual permanent members of the Council.
On Wednesday, PLO Ambassador to the UN in New York Riyad Mansour said the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is set to discuss providing international protection for Palestinians during an informal May 6 meeting.
“We would like to see an international force to separate between us and the Israeli occupying authorities,” Mansour said.
Such a step is not feasible at this time, so it is possible for the UNSC to take a smaller step to help the Palestinians, he said.
In the interim, the Palestinians are already discussing the matter with the office of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to see if there are steps that can be taken to protect the Palestinians even without a new UNSC resolution, he said.