France preparing own peace plan if US won’t pull trigger — report

Israeli lawmakers have been told that France is likely putting together an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan and will release it if the US does not publish its own long-awaited draft after midterm elections, Israel’s Channel 10 news reports.

Foreign Ministry official Alon Ushpiz told lawmakers in a closed meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the diplomatic corps is “highly certain” of the French plans.

Macron has said he does not want to let the issue fall off the international agenda, according to the report.

Ushpiz also reportedly told lawmakers that things for Israel would likely change after midterm elections and they need to prepare.

On Monday, the same channel reported that US president Donald Trump had told Macron he could be tough on Netanyahu as he is against the Palestinians and he is beginning to question the Israeli leader’s commitment to reaching a peace deal.