Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has doubts about U.S. Middle East peace efforts, according to a transcript of a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz obtained a transcript of part of the talks Netanyahu held with Macron when they met for the first time in Paris on Sunday.

Told by Macron that France supports U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to bring the Israelis and Palestinians back to negotiations, Netanyahu replied:

The Palestinians are opposed to any Israeli attempt to cut them out of discussions, saying any peace with Arab states has to come via peace with the Palestinians first.

Asked by Macron what he thought of the French initiative, proposed by former president Francois Hollande late in his term and based around an international peace conference, Netanyahu said:

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