Following on the heels of the dangerous French Peace Initiative which is premised on the idea that the Palestinians receive a state even if they do nothing to stop terror and incitement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State John Kerry are due to hold talks next week in an undisclosed European capital, Israeli media reported Monday.
Israel Radio reported that Netanyahu and Kerry agreed to meet in a recent phone conversation, though the date and location have yet to be determined.
The meeting comes as the French Peace Initiative, which Israel strongly opposes and the Palestinians support, is gaining traction among members of the European Union (EU), who are slated to announce their support of the plan later Monday.
The French initiative entails indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians with international arbitration and an international resolution to pressure Israel into concessions that could hinder its security.
France held an international summit at the beginning of June to discuss possible solutions, while Israel and the Palestinians were not invited to attend it. No real conclusion was reached at the summit, while diplomats nevertheless vowed vaguely to reinvigorate a peace process that has been all but dead for two years.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to pursue peace and has repeatedly stated that the only way to achieve peace is through direct negotiations. At the same time, Palestinian leaders won’t engage in direct talks with Israel and have vowed to never again do so.
In related news, the international Middle East Quartet, which represents the US, EU, Russia and the United Nations, is due in coming days to issue a report expected to be sharply critical of Israel, especially regarding its communities in Judea and Samaria.
