France and Saudi Co-Host UN Summit Back Palestine Statehood/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A UN General Assembly meeting is underway to revive support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, the summit moves forward despite a boycott by Israel and the United States. Leaders hope to establish concrete steps toward peace, recognition, and humanitarian support.
UN Two-State Solution Talks – Quick Looks
- UN meets to promote Israeli-Palestinian two-state peace
- France and Saudi Arabia co-chair two-day session
- Israel, U.S. boycott meeting, calling it counterproductive
- 40+ ministers expected, 193 nations invited
- Macron pledges official French recognition of Palestine
- Israel opposes two-state model, favors maintaining current control
- Palestinians seek broader recognition, reconstruction support for Gaza
- Outcome document expected, but no major breakthroughs
France and Saudi Co-Host UN Summit Back Palestine Statehood
Deep Look
UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations General Assembly has convened a two-day high-level session this week aimed at reigniting global momentum for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. Spearheaded by France and Saudi Arabia, the meeting seeks to advance a diplomatic roadmap for peace, even as key stakeholders — Israel and the United States — are notably absent.
The summit, co-chaired by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and his Saudi counterpart, is designed to promote international consensus around establishing two independent states living side-by-side in peace — an idea that has remained elusive despite decades of negotiations and repeated conflict.
“This is a vital moment to restart a political process that is now more threatened than ever,” Barrot said Sunday during an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”
The meeting, originally scheduled for late June and intended to span four days, was delayed and scaled back due to intensifying violence in the region — including Israel’s brief war with Iran and its ongoing campaign in Gaza.
Why Now?
France and Saudi Arabia say the conference is necessary to reassert the relevance of the two-state framework amid a crisis that has deepened divisions across the Middle East. A joint briefing paper circulated in May said the goal is to mobilize concrete, time-bound commitments from international actors to implement a peaceful solution.
Saudi envoy Manal Radwan emphasized that the gathering must lead to action, not just rhetoric.
“This needs to be rooted in a credible, irreversible political plan that addresses the root causes of the conflict,” she said during pre-summit consultations.
In a significant move, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will officially recognize the state of Palestine during the UN General Assembly in September. With over 145 countries already extending recognition, France would become the most influential Western nation to do so.
Israel and U.S. Boycott
Israel and the United States have declined to attend the summit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu staunchly opposes the two-state approach, citing both security concerns and nationalist ideologies. His right-wing coalition views the West Bank as integral to Jewish history and identity, while opposing Palestinian sovereignty over Jerusalem.
Netanyahu rejected Macron’s planned recognition of Palestine, arguing that such moves reward terrorism and could turn a future Palestinian state into another hostile proxy, similar to Hamas-run Gaza.
The United States echoed Israeli concerns, labeling the UN initiative “counterproductive” and expressing frustration that the conference undermines ongoing American diplomatic efforts in the region.
Palestinian Demands and Expectations
For Palestinian leaders, the summit serves as a precursor to an expected presidential-level meeting in September. Senior Palestinian official Ahmed Majdalani said the main objective is to generate international support for a viable, sovereign Palestinian state.
Majdalani outlined key priorities: a serious and actionable political process, broader state recognition from Western powers such as Britain, increased financial support for the Palestinian Authority, and a coordinated international plan for Gaza’s recovery and rebuilding.
The Palestinians accuse Israel of sabotaging peace by expanding settlements and threatening annexation of key territories in the West Bank — steps they say make a future contiguous state unfeasible.
What Might Happen
While the summit is unlikely to produce a breakthrough due to the absence of Israel and the U.S., organizers hope to pass an outcome document highlighting international support for the two-state solution. Around 40 foreign ministers are expected to attend, signaling broad diplomatic engagement even without Israeli or American involvement.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on member nations to “keep the two-state solution alive” and urged the world to create the conditions to make peace possible.
Despite skepticism, the session marks a rare moment of global focus on resolving the long-standing conflict through diplomacy. For many in the international community, especially after the humanitarian toll of the ongoing Gaza war, the urgency of a sustainable solution has never been more evident.
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