New York: France and Saudi Arabia will spearhead a renewed effort at the United Nations to revive negotiations aimed at establishing a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. The initiative will commence on Monday at a UN conference in New York, co-chaired by Riyadh and Paris, as part of a broader effort to address long-standing conflicts in the region.
According to France24.com, the conference comes on the heels of an announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has stated that France will formally recognize the State of Palestine in September. This move is perceived as a significant development that may inject momentum into the conference, which previously seemed poised for irrelevance, as noted by Richard Gowan from the International Crisis Group.
In the backdrop of this diplomatic push, at least 142 of the 193 UN member states, including France, have recognized the Palestinian state, a development evidenced by data from an AFP database. The historical context of the conflict traces back to 1947, when a UN General Assembly resolution proposed the partition of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. Israel declared its independence the following year.
The enduring vision of a peaceful coexistence between a sovereign Palestinian state and Israel has been widely supported among UN member states for decades. However, challenges remain, including the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and potential annexation plans by Israeli officials, which threaten the feasibility of a geographically contiguous Palestinian state.
The ongoing war in Gaza, sparked by a deadly Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent Israeli military actions, has resulted in significant Palestinian casualties, further complicating peace efforts. The upcoming UN conference aims to address these issues, with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and numerous international ministers expected to participate.
The conference also seeks to address additional objectives, such as reforming the Palestinian Authority, disarming Hamas, excluding the group from Palestinian public life, and normalizing relations between Israel and Arab states yet to do so. Although no new normalization agreements are anticipated, a French diplomatic source noted that Arab nations are expected to condemn Hamas and advocate for its disarmament.
Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, emphasized the conference's potential to transform international law and consensus into a viable plan, urging participants to demonstrate the courage necessary to end the occupation and conflict.
Israel and the United States will not participate in the meeting, while international pressure increases on Israel to conclude nearly two years of hostilities in Gaza. Despite Israel's announcement of "tactical pauses" in military operations, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is expected to be a focal point in speeches by representatives from over 100 countries during the conference. Gowan anticipates that Israel will face substantial criticism during the proceedings.
