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Netanyahu calls Paris talks ‘rigged’
By TIA GOLDENBERG
Associated Press

JERUSALEM — Israel’s prime minister said Thursday that an upcoming conference in Paris aimed at reviving peace talks with the Palestinians was ‘‘rigged’’ and that Israel was not bound by anything decided there.

Dozens of countries are set to attend the conference on Jan. 15, where they may endorse an international framework for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently opposes such a move, saying it would undermine the negotiating process.

‘‘It’s a rigged conference, rigged by the Palestinians with French auspices to adopt additional anti-Israel stances,’’ Netanyahu said during a meeting in Jerusalem with Norway’s foreign minister. ‘‘This pushes peace backwards. It’s not going to obligate us. It’s a relic of the past.’’

The conference comes days before President Obama hands off to Donald Trump, who is expected to be much more sympathetic to Netanyahu’s government than the outgoing administration was.

President Francois Hollande of France said Sunday’s conference aims at ensuring the support of the international community for the two-state solution as a reference for future direct negotiations.

French diplomats said the timing of the conference — days before Trump’s inauguration — is intentional and is meant to present the new president with a collective international push for peace once he takes office.

French authorities expect 72 countries to attend.

Associated Press