France presented a proposal for convening an international peace conference to Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

According to Associated Press, a French diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because the details of the proposal have not been publicized, said his country hopes to hold the conference this summer.

In Jerusalem, the foreign ministry political director Alon Ushpiz met with French Ambassador Patrick Maisonnave who updated Israel on the plan.

The ministry’s spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon declined to provide details of the meeting.

“Israel supports direct negotiations with the Palestinians but opposes any attempt to predetermine the outcome of negotiations,” he said in a statement.

The French push for a conference was announced several weeks ago by then French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius who warned that if its peace efforts fail, it will recognize a Palestinian state.

Fabius’s successor, Jean-Marc Ayrault, has apparently adopted the initiative.

During a press conference alongside Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the French initiative is “puzzling” given the threat by Paris to recognise a Palestinian state if it is unsuccessful.

“This ensures in advance that the conference will fail,” said Netanyahu as the Palestinians will have no incentive to compromise. He added, “There is only one way to advance peace: direct negotiations without precondition between the parties. Anyone who strays from this will not advance successful negotiations.”

Nahshon said the concept of direct talks, which had guided Jerusalem in the process of signing peace agreements with Jordan and Egypt, is supported by the international community.

But Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki on Monday appeared to rule out any future bilateral talks.

“We will never go back and sit again in a direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations,” Malki said during a visit in Japan.