TEL AVIV—Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday criticized a French proposal to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state, calling it an incentive for the Palestinians not to compromise in negotiations to resolve their long-running conflict.
France said Friday it would recognize the State of Palestine if one last attempt to bring the two sides together through an international conference failed. Mr. Netanyahu told a weekly cabinet meeting Sunday the proposal meant France effectively supported the Palestinian leadership.
“This will be an incentive for the Palestinians to come and not compromise,” he said.
He reiterated that Israel was prepared to enter direct negotiations with the Palestinians but without preconditions or terms dictated by the international community.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said France would try to convene an international event with the Israelis, the Palestinians and Arab states to start negotiations on a peace agreement.
Palestinian officials welcomed the proposal by France and called on other countries to pressure Israel to cease building of settlements on the land it captured after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and on which Palestinians want to build a future state.