JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel’s prime minister said Thursday that an upcoming conference in Paris aimed at reviving peace talks with the Palestinians was “rigged” and that Israel was not bound by anything decided there.
Dozens of countries are set to attend the conference on Jan. 15, where they may endorse an international framework for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently opposes such a move, saying it would undermine the negotiating process.
“It’s a rigged conference, rigged by the Palestinians with French auspices to adopt additional anti-Israel stances,” Netanyahu said during a meeting in Jerusalem with Norway’s foreign minister. “This pushes peace backwards. It’s not going to obligate us. It’s a relic of the past.”
The conference comes days before U.S. President Barack Obama hands off to President-elect Donald Trump, who is expected to be much more sympathetic to Netanyahu’s government than the outgoing administration was.
French President Francois Hollande said Sunday’s conference aims at ensuring the support of the international community for the two-state solution as a reference for future direct negotiations.