This Article is From Jan 14, 2017

In Long-Shot Mideast Peace Bid, France Sees Nothing To Lose

In Long-Shot Mideast Peace Bid, France Sees Nothing To Lose

French President Francois Hollande figures there's nothing to lose as chances of peace are low

PARIS: It sounds far-fetched at best: holding a Mideast peace conference without Israelis, Palestinians or the incoming US government.

But the French organizers say that's the whole point. They want Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump to see that much of the world wants a two-state solution.

With chances for a Mideast peace deal lower than in years - perhaps a generation - French President Francois Hollande figures there's nothing to lose.  

French diplomats fear that Trump's administration will unleash new tensions in the region by condoning settlements on land claimed by the Palestinians and potentially moving the US Embassy to contested Jerusalem. 

So more than 70 foreign ministers and other top envoys are gathering Sunday in Paris to urge the establishment of a Palestinian state.
 
 


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