Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in a press conference on Friday following his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris that Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu always refused negotiations with Palestinians.

“We have not rejected negotiations, as the Israelis say, but BenjaminNetanyahu always refused,” the President told reporters outside the Elysee Palace.

He continued, “We have declared our position towards the negotiations… and the Israelis say that the Palestinians reject the negotiations. I challenge them if we were once called for secret or public negotiations in more than one state and we rejected. Rather, Netanyahu always rejected.”