France and Saudi Arabia will convene dozens of world leaders on Monday at 3 p.m. New York time to rally support for a two-state solution, with several of them expected to formally recognize a Palestinian state — a move that could draw harsh Israeli and US responses.
Israel and the United States will boycott the summit, said Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon, describing the event as a “circus.” “We don’t think it’s helpful. We think it’s actually rewarding terrorism,” he told reporters on Thursday.
The UK, Canada, Portugal and Australia all announced on Sunday that they formally recognized a State of Palestine, with 5 more countries — Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, San Marino and Andorra — set to follow suit on Monday, ahead of world leaders’ addresses to the UN General Assembly.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the recognitions as well as the idea of Palestinian statehood, and vowed to respond upon his return from the UN. Some government ministers are pushing Israel to annex part of the West Bank in response.
Saudi Arabia has reportedly warned that West Bank annexation would have “major implications.” The UAE, with which Israel has relations, has also called annexation a “red line.”
A US State Department spokesperson called the recognitions “performative,” telling AFP on condition of anonymity: “Our focus remains on serious diplomacy, not performative gestures. Our priorities are clear: the release of the hostages, the security of Israel, and peace and prosperity for the entire region that is only possible free from Hamas.”
The US administration has also warned of possible consequences for those who take measures against Israel, including against France, whose president, Emmanuel Macron, is hosting the New York summit. Jerusalem is also considering specific bilateral measures against Paris, Israeli officials have said.
The summit follows Israel’s launch of a ground offensive in Gaza City and amid few prospects for a ceasefire nearly two years into the war in Gaza, which was triggered by the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
The Western countries that are recognizing a Palestinian state have cited a growing sense of urgency to act now before the idea of a two-state solution vanishes forever. Israel has decried the pronouncements as a “prize for terror” following the October 7 attack, and with Hamas still holding Israeli hostages.
The General Assembly endorsed a seven-page declaration this month outlining “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” toward a two-state solution, while also condemning Hamas and calling on it to surrender and disarm.
Those efforts drew immediate rebukes from Israel and the United States.
Courtesy: Times of Israel
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