Rami Hamdallah, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority on Tuesday rebuffed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest call for direct talks, opting instead to join a French-led multilateral peace initiative.

According to an AFP report, Hamdallah said, “Netanyahu is trying to buy time… but this time he will not escape the international community.”

Hamdallah made the remark during a meeting in Ramallah with French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who is in the region this week to promote the French peace initiative.

https://twitter.com/MexicoNoAvanza/status/735050997442056193

The initiative which is opposed by Israel calls for a multilateral international conference later this year to jump-start peace talks. If the initiative fails, France has said it will recognize a Palestinian state.

(PC, HAARETZ)