June 21, 2015 (WAFA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked the French government’s initiative to promote a United Nations Security Council resolution attempting to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reported the Israeli daily Haartez.
It said that, several hours before he is scheduled to meet French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in Jerusalem, Netanyahu strongly lashed out at France’s call to resume peace talks, saying that the plan was a “dictate” that would hurt Israel’s security.
‘We firmly reject attempts to impose international dictates on us, for the sake of security and peace,’ the Middle East Monitor quoted Netanyahu.
On Saturday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius urged the resumption of Middle East peace talks, while warning that continued Israeli settlement building in the occupied Palestinian Territories damaged chances of reaching a final deal.
During a visit to Cairo, Fabius said that, ‘We need Israel’s security to be totally assured, that is essential, but at the same time we need the rights of the Palestinians to be recognized because without justice there can be no peace.’
‘From this point of view, when settlement building continues, [the prospect of] a two-state solution recedes,’ he added.
The Middle East monitor said that, “Relations between France and Israel have been strained for the past year. The French government was a vocal critic of Israel’s attack on Gaza last summer and the parliament in Paris further upset Israel last December by voting to recognize Palestine.”
T.R/M.H
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