France Hopes for Relaunch of Mideast Peace Talks After Israel Vote

France on Wednesday called for a relaunch of the Middle East process based on a two-state solution, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won a closely-fought election.

"Only the creation of viable sovereign Palestinian state... will ensure peace and prosperity in the Middle East," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement, calling for negotiations to resume to achieve "a comprehensive and lasting peace accord".

During the election campaign, Netanyahu said he would not accept the establishment of a Palestinian state, a key part of the two-state solution backed by the EU and which he had accepted in 2009.