​(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson)
 
The international conference held in Paris today (Friday, 3 June) constituted a missed opportunity. Instead of urging Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to answer Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s repeated calls to immediately start direct negotiations without preconditions, the international community submitted to Abbas’ demands and allowed him to continue to evade conducting direct bilateral negotiations without preconditions.
 
History will record that the conference in Paris only hardened the Palestinian position and distanced the chances for peace.