The 'Two-State Solution' Conference: A Roadmap for Peaceful Settlement or an Ineffective International Bet?

Between political and diplomatic efforts on the one hand, and the reality on the ground and in practice on the other, there are indications of growing international and Arab action to revive the two-state solution.

Internationally, France, Saudi Arabia, and the United Nations are leading efforts to revive the process, with support from countries such as Spain, Ireland, and Belgium, which have announced their intention to recognize the Palestinian state.

While the European Union has begun to speak more clearly about Israel's responsibility for the failure of this solution, the United States continues to cautiously affirm the two-state solution as official policy, without exerting any effective pressure on Israel.

In about two weeks, an international conference will be held in New York, sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, to end the so-called Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Many hope that the conference will achieve positive results despite the challenges posed by the Israeli war machine.

They anticipate that the conference will witness recognition of the Palestinian state by some European countries, which will have a significant political impact.

It is noteworthy that the conference is driven by the urgency of reviving the two-state solution, now under severe threat due to the war in Gaza and the acceleration of Israeli settlement expansion.

Two-State Solution

Paris and New York hosted two parallel meetings on May 23 regarding the ‘High-Level International Conference for a Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Cause and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution’, which is scheduled to be hosted by the UN in New York from June 17 to 20, under the joint Saudi-French chairmanship.

The two meetings confirmed that preparations for the conference have begun at an intensive pace, and that the two sponsoring parties truly desire to achieve a real breakthrough that would reopen the door to a political solution that has been absent for decades.

Diplomat says the conference, sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, should lead to more nations joining the 150 that have already recognized the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority as the State of Palestine.

In Paris, the French Foreign Minister hosted his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan for a working session dedicated to preparing for the aforementioned conference, reflecting France's interest in working hand in hand with its Arab partners.

In parallel with the Paris meeting, a preparatory meeting was held at the UN headquarters in New York to assess the achievements of the eight previously formed working groups. 

The meeting aimed to present concrete, practical proposals to advance the implementation of the two-state solution, which the two sponsors see as the only option to end the so-called Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In turn, Manal bint Hassan Radwan, head of the Saudi Arabian negotiating team, emphasized the urgent need for decisive and irreversible action to end the conflict and achieve the two-state solution.

“Regional peace begins with the recognition of the State of Palestine—not as a symbolic gesture, but as a strategic necessity,” she said.

For her part, Anne-Claire Legendre, Middle East and North Africa advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron, emphasized the urgent need for international mobilization ahead of the June conference, which aims to develop a concrete roadmap for implementing the two-state solution.

She called for immediate action to end the war in Gaza, ensure the unconditional release of all hostages, and facilitate full humanitarian access.

She stressed the urgent need to prioritize a political solution, noting that settlement expansion, settler violence, and efforts to weaken the Palestinian Authority undermine the two-state solution.

For his part, UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang emphasized that the conference scheduled to be held in New York represents a critical opportunity that we must seize to chart an irreversible path toward the implementation of the two-state solution, emphasizing the utmost importance of this conference.

“This conflict cannot be resolved through perpetual war, nor through endless occupation or annexation. This conflict will only end when Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in their independent and sovereign states, in peace, security, and dignity,” he added.

Peaceful Paths

The New York conference aims to implement a previous UN General Assembly resolution and accelerate the two-state solution, in addition to exploring ways to realize a Palestinian state on the ground.

It is based on the principle of exchange, whereby countries that have not yet recognized the Palestinian state, most of them Western countries, will be invited to take this step.

At the same time, Arab and Islamic countries that have not yet recognized “the State of Israel” will be invited to recognize it and normalize relations with it.

This new deal recalls the Arab Initiative adopted at the Beirut summit 23 years ago, which stipulated the establishment of normal relations with “Israel” in exchange for Israel's acceptance of the establishment of a Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967, borders, as well as Israel's withdrawal from the Arab territories it occupies in Lebanon and Syria.

It is noteworthy that in 1988, the Palestinian National Council, during its meeting in Algeria, declared the establishment of the State of Palestine.

In 1991, the Madrid Peace Conference was held with the aim of reaching a peaceful settlement through direct negotiations on two tracks: between “Israel” and the Arab states, and between “Israel” and the Palestinians, based on Security Council Resolutions 242 of 1967 and 338 of 1973.

Since then, conflicts in the region have been escalating, taking various paths without achieving the dream of a Palestinian state.

In another context, France categorically rejected Israeli claims that recognizing the State of Palestine is a reward for Hamas.

It indicated that this step is a reward for the Palestinian Authority, which has chosen the path of peace and renunciation of violence, recognized the State of Israel decades ago, and continues to seek any peaceful solution.

France believes that a series of reforms must be undertaken to prepare the Palestinian Authority and provide it with credibility so that it is qualified to administer the future Palestinian state.

The Palestinian Authority is also required to reaffirm its rejection of violence and desire for peace, condemn the October 7, 2023, operation, combat hate speech, and implement structural reforms.

There is also a French and international consensus regarding the disarmament of Hamas, its removal from power in Gaza, and its deprivation of influence over the authority that will govern it.

Israeli Desires

In turn, Tel Aviv is making strenuous efforts to thwart France's efforts to persuade a number of Western countries to recognize a Palestinian state and announce this during the upcoming New York conference.

“Israel”, through its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, was quick to threaten to impose Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank if countries such as France or Britain recognized the Palestinian state.

Hebrew newspapers reported that the U.S. informed “Israel” that it would not participate in the conference, but that it would not publicly pressure other countries to dissuade them from participating.

France condemned the Israeli reaction, noting that some of the conference's goals align with Israeli desires, both with regard to Hamas and with regard to normalization with Arab and Islamic countries.

Last week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced that France intends to recognize the Palestinian state, a decision likely to cause turmoil in relations with “Israel”.

France hopes that several European countries will join its initiative, including Britain, Portugal, Luxembourg, and Belgium.

All Arab and international parties have long adhered to the two-state solution to end the decades-long conflict in the Middle East and its repercussions throughout the region.

Sources have indicated that there is growing awareness among Western and European public opinion regarding Palestinian rights, particularly in light of the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip.

The governments of these countries are no longer able to ignore this issue among their people, which is putting pressure on their political stance toward pursuing a two-state solution.

It is worth noting that any decisions taken at the New York conference will be irreversible, ranging from recognition of a Palestinian state to the imposition of potential sanctions on “Israel”.

Political analyst Ismail Maslamani explained to Al-Estiklal that “the two-state solution conference is an important diplomatic step within the framework of international efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful settlement of the Palestinian Cause.”

On the ground, “Israel” appears to be continuing to assassinate and destroy everything, ignoring every move toward the establishment of a Palestinian state, and even viewing it as a reward for terrorism, according to him.

“In any case, Israel will pay the price for its extremism and occupation of Palestinian territories, and it will find itself in a political impasse, whether it accepts or rejects the political path announced at the conference,” Mr. Maslamani concluded.