The scene repeats itself over and over again. The outside intervening government that knows better, this time it’s France, comes to bring peace to our region. Of course they can’t even have peace in Paris, but that is beside the point.
Nabil Abu Rudeinah, the spokesman for PA chairman Mahmaoud Abbas said “If Netanyahu is serious about peace he must end the settlements, recognize the two state solution and agree to participate in the international peace conference that France wants to convene by the end of this year.” “Illegal settlement”, the “Regulation Law” (seeking to legalize settlements) and the “Muezzin Law” (which seeks to silence the noise pollution of the muezzin loudspeakers at night) are things that do not promote peace according to Abu Rudeineh. Building 500 units (in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood) injerusalem is another “obstacle”. Abu Rudeineh asked that the international community take a firm stance against the settlements and quoting other world leaders that seem to know better, called the settlements “the main cause of stability in the region” which prevent every attempt to reach a just and comprehensive peace in the region.
The French initiative is a new precondition for talks on top of many more preconditions and Israel’s position is that it doesn’t accept preconditions. Other preconditions include releasing terrorists from jails, a timeline of a year to complete negotiations and halting construction in Judea and Samaria.
Israel opposes this initiative and instead wants direct negotiations with the PA who refuse to participate in direct negotiations.