France postpones Middle East peace conference until January

RAMALLAH, West Bank, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A French-sponsored peace conference on the Mideast has been moved from late December to early January, the Palestinian envoy to France said.

Israel's refusal to participate in the Paris conference was not a factor in the postponement, envoy Salman El Herfi said. Voice of Palestine radio, cited by Jordan's Petra News Agency, said Wednesday that French officials postponed the conference to "make better preparations" to ensure its success. The delay in the talks, aimed at resuming discussions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, was also announced in Israel on the independent television station Channel 10.

Helene Le Gal, French ambassador to Israel, said Monday the conference will not offer new ideas regarding the conflict, but is intended to keep global interest in the issue from waning.

The conference was scheduled to begin on Dec. 21. Neither Palestine, which approves of the meeting, nor Israel, which strongly opposes it, was invited to attend. Israel prefers direct negotiation with the Palestinian Authority, without preconditions or involvement from other countries.

An offer by French President Francois Hollande to arrange a meeting during the conference between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, was rejected by Israel. Israel would attend the meeting with Abbas only if the international conference was scrapped, it said. The Palestinian Authority has enthusiastically welcomed international involvement but also has sought alternatives. Last week it presented a resolution to the United Nations Security Council condemning the construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, territory that would form the nation of Palestine if a two-state solution is adopted.