France Will Host Conference in May Seeking to Force Israeli Concessions to Palestinians

"France on Thursday announced that it has selected May 30 to hold an international meeting attempting to force Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) into peace talks...

Paris will be hosting a meeting of ministers from 20 countries on May 30 to try and bring the peace process back to life, according to Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. Ayrault ... specified Israel and the PA would not be invited to the meeting in Paris.

The French minister said the meeting's goal was to prepare an international summit in the second half of 2016, which would include Israeil and PA leaders...

He said the discussions would be based on the 2002 peace initiative, which was rejected by Israel as it demands the Jewish state make enormous withdrawals and an influx of 'Palestinian refugees' only to receive a paper promise of normalization from Arab states.

The meeting next month comes in the midst of an Arab terror wave characterized by heavy PA incitement, which has cost the lives of 34 victims since last September...

The PA has welcomed the French initiative, though it has also insisted on a United Nations resolution against Israeli "settlement building" ahead of any renewed peace process.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has rejected the initiative, calling it 'mystifying' and counterproductive and arguing that the proposal gives Palestinians no incentive to compromise."