France's President Francois Hollande said Friday that only Israelis and Palestinians can make the "courageous choice" to achieve peace, noting that the French initiative can only help provide guarantees for a "lasting, solid accord." 


Hollande, who opened a peace conference in Paris, explained why he thought the French initiative had something new to offer, noting that changes that have swept the Middle East mean that past efforts for peace between Israelis and Palestinians are no longer as relevant. 


"The discussion on the conditions for peace between Israelis and Palestinians must take into account the entire region," Hollande said. 


"The threats and priorities have changed. The changes make it even more urgent to find a solution to the conflict, and this regional upheaval creates new obligations for peace. We must prove it to the international community." 


He noted that if the peace process fails, "the vacuum will inevitably be filled by extremists." 


In a statement ahead of the conference on Thursday, the French president said that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict faces a "dangerous deadlock," noting that the meeting will allow participants to "reaffirm their commitment to the two-state solution and their determination to create the conditions for resumption of direct talks." 


The United States, the traditional mediator in the conflict, has been decidedly cool on the French initiative, with US Secretary of State John Kerry agreeing to attend merely to listen to ideas proposed by France and others. 


"We’re not bringing any specific proposals to this meeting tomorrow," a senior State Department official said, adding that no one had -- any real firm ideas -- on what the outcome was expected to be

Source: NNA