France and Saudi Arabia are seeking to inject fresh urgency into the decades-old push for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, using this year’s UN General Assembly and the intensifying Gaza war to rally global support.
Their plan includes a new road map for Palestinian statehood in the territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 war, along with steps by several Western countries to join the global majority already recognizing Palestine. On Sunday, Britain, Canada and Australia formally recognized a Palestinian state, joining nearly 150 other nations, with France expected to follow suit this week.
But the drive for a two-state framework faces fierce resistance from both the United States and Israel. Washington has blocked Palestinian officials from participating in the General Assembly, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly threatened unilateral measures, including possible annexation of parts of the West Bank.
Prospects dim despite global push
International consensus has long favored the creation of a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza as the only viable solution to the conflict. Advocates argue it would preserve Israel’s Jewish democratic character, while critics warn that the current system—where Palestinians live under various forms of Israeli control—amounts to apartheid.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated last week that without a two-state solution, peace in the Middle East is impossible. Yet repeated peace talks since the 1990s have collapsed amid violence and settlement expansion, and there have been no serious negotiations since Netanyahu’s return to power in 2009.
Meanwhile, Israel’s war in Gaza has devastated the enclave, killing tens of thousands, displacing nearly 90% of its 2 million residents, and leaving large areas uninhabitable.
The French-Saudi initiative
Hoping to break the deadlock, France and Saudi Arabia have advanced a phased plan calling for an immediate Gaza ceasefire, the release of hostages and full Israeli withdrawal. Hamas would cede authority to a nonpartisan committee under the Palestinian Authority and lay down its weapons, while international support would help rebuild Gaza and oversee governance, potentially with foreign peacekeepers.
UK, Canada, Australia recognise state of Palestine
The 193-member UN recently endorsed the so-called “New York Declaration,” backing the idea of eventual Palestinian statehood under this framework.
Israel and U.S. push back
Washington and Tel Aviv argue that recognition of a Palestinian state rewards Hamas and undermines efforts to free hostages. They also warn that a Palestinian state could enable another large-scale assault similar to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
Netanyahu has framed global recognition of Palestinian statehood as an attack on Israel, vowing reciprocal unilateral action. His coalition partners have long pushed for West Bank annexation, which would all but extinguish hopes of a viable Palestinian state.
Challenges ahead
The French-Saudi proposal avoids the thorniest issues: final borders, the status of Jerusalem, refugee rights, settlements and Israel’s recognition as a Jewish state. It also leans heavily on the Palestinian Authority, which many Palestinians view as corrupt and ineffective. Planned elections remain uncertain, with Hamas excluded unless it disarms and accepts Israel’s existence.
Given these obstacles, analysts warn the plan may meet the same fate as past initiatives—another unfulfilled roadmap—leaving Israel in control of territory from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean and millions of Palestinians without basic rights.
Source: Agency