At the opening of an international conference at the United Nations, France firmly reiterated that there is no alternative to resolving the chronic Israeli-Palestinian conflict other than the “two-state solution” — the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel, living side by side in peace and security.
“Only a political solution based on two states can meet the legitimate aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. There is no alternative,” declared French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, urging for “concrete measures” to preserve the prospect of a viable Palestinian state.
Barrot warned it is unrealistic to expect a lasting truce in Gaza without outlining a clear post-war vision for Gaza and a political settlement.
The conference, convened by the UN General Assembly and co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, has been boycotted by Israel and the United States. The US State Department spokesperson, Tami Bruce, condemned the initiative as “unproductive and inappropriate,” describing it as a “publicity stunt” that risks undermining delicate diplomatic efforts to end the war, now in its 21st month.
Following French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent announcement that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state in September, hopes have risen that the conference could revitalize global momentum for Palestinian statehood.
Barrot hinted that other Western countries would also express intentions to recognize Palestine during the event but did not specify which.
The UK has rejected immediate recognition, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer stating that any recognition of Palestine should be part of a broader peace plan.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa called on all nations to act now, stating his administration is ready to deploy international forces to protect Palestinian civilians.
According to AFP, at least 142 of the UN’s 193 member states, including France, already recognize the State of Palestine, which was declared by the Palestinian Authority in exile in 1988.
A 1947 UN General Assembly resolution originally called for the partition of the British Mandate of Palestine into two independent states — one Jewish and one Arab — leading to the declaration of the State of Israel in 1948.
For decades, the vast majority of the international community has supported the two-state solution, envisioning a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
However, after nearly two years of war in Gaza, continued Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, and calls by some Israeli officials for annexation, many fear that a Palestinian state may soon become physically impossible.
“We are at a breaking point. The two-state solution is further away than ever. Let’s be clear: the creeping annexation of the West Bank is illegal and must stop. The massive destruction of Gaza is unbearable and must stop,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, condemning “unilateral actions” that threaten to permanently undermine a two-state outcome.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, argued that the conference does not advance peace but “reinforces an illusion.”
Beyond encouraging new momentum for Palestinian state recognition, the conference also focuses on three key areas: reforming Palestinian governance, the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from Palestinian authority, and normalizing ties between Israel and Arab states that have yet to do so.
International pressure on Israel continues to mount to end the Gaza war, which erupted after Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.
