Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows that peace between Israel and the Palestinians will not be achieved during another international pow wow. That's why he doesn't expect much progress to come of the Paris summit this week.
“Peace will not be achieved by force or from above, not at futile conferences, and not by foreign diktats,” he said at a memorial service for former Israeli President Simon Peres on Monday. “It can only be achieved in direct negotiations between the sides.”
In addition to seeking peace with the Palestinians, Netanyahu said Israel must continue to build up its military to defend itself.
The United Nations slapped Israel in the face a few weeks ago when it passed a resolution to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, an area that includes the sacred Western Wall. Both liberals and conservatives criticized the UN for its anti-Israel agenda. U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) even introduced a bill to strip the UN from taxpayer funding.
The Paris summit resulted in a statement among the nations involved in the talks. Yet, peace between Israelis and Palestinians is going to take more than a piece of paper.
Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emanuel Nahshon called the Paris conference a "failed soufflé."